Becoming a Hero: the Harder Way
by bearwithaball
Summary: Three years since the war with the Berserkers, Hiccup's life has been a little trite. But with a newly escaped Dagur, new threats on the horizon, and an out-of-this-world weapon threaten Berk, will our heroes step up? And with new people, new adventures, and new dragons past the archipelago, will they ever come back home? (Takes place when RTTE canonically does. I'm a big fan of t
1. A Damp Day

This is Berk.

A big, wet rock teeming with big, and sometimes wet, vikings. This rock's been standing for seven generations. Located a few days north of Hopelessness and some miles south of Freezing to Death, it's not known for it's balmy weather. But unlike other places that may ride ponies or alpacas, we ride…

Well, you probably already know.

My name is Hiccup, and most of my mornings start the same; eye-watering flights, heart-stopping aerial stunts, and fishy dragon-breath.

"ARROOOO," a familiar, sassy voice calls out from my peripheral.

"I feel like we spend most of our days free-falling, bud."

Toothless, with his tongue dangling out of his mouth, made a noise of agreement.

Free-falling through Berk's sky hasn't been a problem lately. I mean, it's pretty easy to jump knowing you have a giant, black safety net falling with you (even if it's to his chagrin sometimes).

But, for the last three years, it feels like my life has also been a steady free-fall. Don't get me wrong, after the war with the Berserker's, three years of peace was a nice change of pace. We vikings have recovered, and dare I say it, became better.

Toothless and I cleared the clouds after falling in a tight spiral, and we could see the dark blue of the ocean nearing. With a quick flip, I grabbed onto Toothless like a lifeline and quickly attached my leg into the pedal. One shift of the stirrup and we evened out before we plummeted into the water.

Dragons are now fully integrated into Berk's way of life. As I flew over the Northside of the island, the evidence of the change was quite easy to see. The stables, where most of the dragons sleep and eat, can been seen in the distance. There are feeding trophs and dragon washes near the forge. Almost all the huts in the village have fortified roofs to give our flying friends a place to land if needed. You get the gist.

And that's just the physical proof.

Having your own dragon is pretty much the norm now, and vikings hate questioning the status quo (trust me, I have first hand experience). But honestly, why would you not want one? From helping with the countless tasks required in our daily viking lives, to just plain companionship; dragons just make living easier.

And as Berk has changed, so has life.

As Toothless zoomed high above the plaza, I spotted Fishlegs giving a tour of Berk to some of the young vikings who were sitting on top of a smiling Meatlug. Nowadays, that's where you can find the duo; preparing the Dragon Riders of the Future as Fishlegs would say. He suddenly saw me and waved with a smile. I couldn't hear what he said to the kids, but they all start waving their little arms up at Toothless and me while shrieking unintelligible things that made me grin.

Fishlegs isn't the only one in the gang who's found a new calling. Snotlout was dubbed the official weapons tester by Gobber; much to my old mentor's delight. He really needed someone to try out his new inventions, or instruments of war as he would say, and Snot was more than willing to fill the role. Despite the lack of battles in the last few months, Gobber's vigor for new weapons hadn't diminished, and it was good way for Snotlout to burn energy.

The Twins, to no one's surprise, haven't really changed at all. They dedicated their lives to Loki, the God of Mischief, by performing pranks and gags; much to Snotlout's dismay. It's more often than not that when a stampede of yaks run amuck in the village, or Snotlout's screams ring out through the village, are due to the antics of the Thorston twins. However, when they aren't setting Snot's pants on fire, they sometimes take part in their family's weaving business. Despite their love for chaos, Tuff and Ruff actually have really good taste in designing.

So yeah. The dynamics of the gang have changed a little.

"Hiccup!" A familiar voice came from behind me.

Somethings, I thought with a smile, stayed the same.

Coming to glide next to us was Astrid riding her trusty nadder, Stormfly. I tried hard, but I'm pretty sure I failed, to keep that stupid grin off my face; the one that threatened to pop up every time I saw her. You think after all these years of being tight-knit, tighter than two gronkles stuck in a wagon it feels like, would lose some of its novelty. Nope. After countless missions, dragon races, and late night talks on the Western cliffs, being close with her has been nothing short of awesome.

We're a dynamic duo. The Thor to my Loki she once told me. Of course, she would be Thor.

Nowadays, Astrid and I have taken to exploring the archipelago. We would document new islands and discoveries during our trips. After the first few adventures, I had the grand idea that we should make a map. It could be used by dragon riders or sailors or any vikings looking to run away. When I proposed the map to her, I mentioned how it could make us legendary and transcendent, even more so than Bork and his book. Berkians would build statues of us and our dragons! Despite being completely serious (or as serious as I ever get), my Hiccup flair made her bust out in a cacophony of laughter. I tried to be mad, I really did, but it was pretty impossible when she was that happy, and nevertheless, she agreed. Her laughter drowned out the night, and we talked about the possibilities, supplies we would need, and whatever came to mind. I continued my regular comedy show, and her smile was blinding even in the da -

And if you couldn't tell by now, I'm pretty much head-over-heels in love with her - but that's not new. It's been like that since I was seven.

"Hofferson," I said in a false-stern voice, "you're late."

"Sorry chief junior. I got caught up with chores and my mom and…something."

"Something?"

She smiled but there was some hesitation in her eyes. "Yeah something. Could we land and talk a little?"

"Sure," I exclaimed, not wanting to hear what she had to say. Astrid had that look in her eye. That I don't want to say it because I know you're not gonna like it, Hiccup look. "But first, I was thinking we should try the North today. See if you can catch up!"

With a quick flick of my foot, Toothless blasted out of his leisurely pace. I heard Astrid call out my name in what I think was a frustrated voice, but I wasn't going to slow down.

—

"I think I see something," I whispered to Astrid. Using my magnifying glass, I could see the remnants of what I thought was a dragon. With it's abnormally long and thick neck, and oddly shaped head, it was easy to get my hopes up of a new discovery.

"Hicc-"

"Look! Do you see it?" I tossed her the glass and she begrudgingly turned towards the horizon.

"That's nice but-"

"It's has got to be a new dragon! C'mon Ast."

I urged Toothless off the sea stack we were using for recon. My chest felt like it was going to implode with how fast my heart was beating. It had been a few months since Astrid and I discovered a new dragon. Despite my best efforts to hide how I felt, my dad's understanding grunt or Snotlout's gloating when we came back home empty handed were really starting to get to me. If I have to see that sympathetic smile that Astrid graces me with after every 'false alarm' again, I'd probably go insane.

Toothless pulled around the rock formation with a quick and graceful tilt and -

"LOKI'D!"

Damn it.

Sitting behind the sea stack formation was none other than the twins on top of their zippleback. Barf and Belch had their necks intertwined like rope, and from a distance, it would be easy to mistake them for some new, undiscovered dragon…

Damn it. Damn it. Damn it.

"You totally thought Barf and Belch were a new dragon," Tuffnut exclaimed through laughs.

"What? No… I did not!" Smooth comeback Haddock.

The twins continued to howl in delight at my obvious dissapoitment, and I took off before I could embarrass myself even more.

—

A few minutes later, Toothless and I took refuge on a sea stack far from the twins.

One of the best things about Toothless is his how fast he can fly. Despite there being a lack of Night Furies in Berk or anywhere, their speed has been a thing of legend. Some folktales have told stories of Night Furies being faster than a lightning bolt from Thor. Their wings were made from Freya herself; fast but silent.

For Toothless, it was very useful for avoiding enemy dragons or being stealthy in the dark. And for me, it was really good for escaping my problems. In just a short amount of time, I was able to put a significant amount of distance between me and the twins and Astrid.

Not that I like being away from Astrid. I don't. And, if I'm being honest, I like hanging out with Tuff and Ruff; unless they were acting like idiots. Like now.

But putting distance between us and them felt like I was avoiding the real problem; Berk was suffocating me. Everyone, even the original dragon riders, has gotten over the change that they brought. In fact, they adjusted and reformed their lives to accommodate our new friends. Now, Berkians altered their futures and changed their roles to fit in their new lives but still contribute to Berk.

And me… well, it's pretty obvious what role I would need to fill. With my Dad's hints of retirement and Gobber's teasing, the future that I dreaded but accepted felt like it was looming behind my shoulder.

And now, I felt cornered like an unlucky Yak facing down a hungry, untamed nightmare. Childhood innocence never lasts… but it could've stayed around a little longer.

The map was my escape. It was an excuse to put distance between me and that role. The further away from the island I was, the bettter I felt. Plus, ever since Toothless gave me 'purpose' in life, discovering new dragons always strengthened my resolve. And I loved exploring with Astrid. When I was with her, even when we were lost, I felt hopeful.

Right on cue, a loud and familiar squawk resonated on the opposite side of the sea stack. Toothless, who was making a noble effort in comforting me, paused to greet his fellow dragon and her rider.

I could mope around all day if I wanted to, but it would be unfair to let my dragon suffer with me. "Go on bud. Go play."

Toothless galloped off towards Stormfly. I heard Astrid's quiet footsteps as she bounded over to me. She sat down to my right and stared off towards the horizon; pointedly looking away from me.

"Hiccup," she said softly, "The twins are muttonheads."

"Agreed."

"But you have to admit, it's been a while since we've seen any new dragons."

I looked over at her and found her observing me. Despite Astrid being one of the few constant things in my life, change did manage to affect her too; at least physically. Still strong and fearless and loyal, but new. Along with height, her blonde hair grew, and the way she braided it was different. Long gone were the days she had to flip her bangs out; they use to reside in front of her eyes. And like most vikings our age, her body changed too. Her voice got a little deeper, her hips widened in ways that made me blank out sometimes, and her face matured to look a little more like her mother's. I mean, even I'd admit that Astrid had always been cute in that 'tomboy' type of way, but now, she was seriously starting to become beautiful.

"This can't be it, Ast."

Her eyes were still firmly on my face. "Well…it's over for me."

So much for constant.

I felt something in my chest tear like paper, and even the pleasant scent of the ocean started to smell like week old yaknog. Nevertheless, I fought to keep my face neutral, but I was pretty sure I was doing a shotty job.

"Hiccup," Astrid continued, "Stormfly and I are joining the Berk Guard! Your dad granted our application. We start training today. Isn't that exciting?"

Damn it, Dad. She was smiling in a hopeful way that conveyed her expectancy in me to return the sentiment, but I couldn't bring myself to it.

The Berk Guard. The Big leagues as I use to refer to it. Created by my great-great Grandfather, it use to be a death squad filled with the most elite, dragon-killing vikings. They protected the island and helped with diplomatic missions. But with the… changes that have happened in the past few years, my father decided to adjust the purpose of the group. They still helped with diplomatic missions, and they still are a vital component with fortifying the island, but no more slaughtering of dragons; obviously. In fact, having a dragon was looked as an extra advantage in getting accepted in. You could be of service on the ground and in the air. And with Astrid being arguably the best warrior and the best dragon rider on the island; it was a no brainer.

But still. Damn it, Dad.

"The Berk Guard… that's amazing. I'm…happy for you."

False, I wasn't. I mean maybe I was sorta happy for Ast. Being in the Guard was an honorable title. She would get paid, and I knew money was kinda tight in her household. It was an easy way to meet new people. They get a really cool armor set… that I helped design. Thor damn it.

But I wasn't happy for what it meant for us…or whatever Astrid and I were.

"Look Hiccup," Astrid interrupted my sullen thoughts, probably seeing through my facade, "we all got to find new… things to pursue. I mean, look at the rest of the gang. We're all grown up and, life's changing for us. Maybe you and Toothless should…move on too."

Somehow, I wasn't so sure she wast just talking about the map.

There was a bout of awkward silence between us. I wasn't looking at her, but I could sense she wanted to say more. But the silence continued until she stood up to leave.

"Just think about it, okay?" She boarded Stormfly. " I'll see you soon, Hiccup. You still owe me a night flight. Let's meet at our spot?"

I knew she was grinning, I could hear it in her voice, But I didn't turn to look. "Yeah."

She hesitated a few more seconds, but then prompted Stormfly to take off back towards Berk. There goes my Thor.

I took my map out of my front armor compartment. Staring at it absently, the feeling of pointlessness started to engulf the previous excitement that normally surrounded it. In just under a few hours, I managed to lose everything that was keeping me sane.

You really screwed the pooch, Hiccup Haddock I thought to myself.

Toothless nudged my side until I wrapped my arms around his scaly head. He felt warm, and he provided comfort against the sudden coldness present in my gut. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me now, bud."

"Aroooo," Toothless murmured in sad agreement.

—

After a mournful lunch by myself, and a pathetic check-up of the academy, that was still empty, Toothless flew me back to my house. My friends were nowhere to be found, Gobber was on a fishing trip and wouldn't return until tomorrow, and Astrid was…yeah. I took off Toothless's saddle and left him to his own devices. He was reluctant to leave, which made me smile a little, but eventually, he bounded off to hang out with other dragons.

Normally, I would never hang out with my Dad voluntarily. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dad, and after a few years of improved communication, I really felt like my Dad loves me too; in his own, Stoicky-way. But still, hanging out with normally him entails chiefly-lectures, chiefly-stories, and worst of all, chiefly-tasks.

However, I normally wouldn't be home so early. And… I was really out of options. So I steadily opened my front door.

Out of all the things I expected to see, a wet and terrified Johann, hyperventilating on my father's chair, was not one of them. My father was trying his best to comfort the distraught trader, but all he was getting was half-finished sentences and hurried breaths. When he noticed me, his eyebrows were low and his frown showed his worry.

Before I could ask, Johann somehow found his voice when he realized my presence. "Master Hiccup! I'm sorry for the sudden and ungraceful intrusion into your domain, but the news I have pertains to you and, well…it will surely dampen your day."

I sighed. "Don't worry, Johann. My day's already damp. Go ahead and lay it on me."


	2. Toothless and I Go on that Vacation

"Dagur has escaped, Master Hiccup!" exclaimed Johann.

_Of course._

"And, from what I'm hearing from my fellow traders, your the first name on his revenge list!"

_Yup. Sounds right._

"To make matters even worse, he's on the trail of an ancient artifact. An artifact as old as the Gods! It has been passed through kingdom to kingdom. Its power is mystifying! And in Dagur's hands…it would not be splendid."

_The Gods must really love screwing me._

That last thought I must have muttered out loud because my Dad turned to glare at me. His normal scary-chief look was a little subdued, however. He must actually be concerned.

"Johann," I started in a soft voice, "you've had a long day. Why don't you go rest upstairs in my bed? My father and I have some things…to discuss."

Normally, Johann would find some way to keep talking, but to my surprise, he agreed without hesitation. "Chief Stoick can fill you on more of the details. But Master Hiccup, will you please wake me once a decision is made?"

I nodded and Johann made his way up to my loft. After I heard my door shut, I took a seat at the dinner table chair, across from Dad who was now sitting in his seat.

"So…" I began, "details?"

"Aye," my Dad began in a rough voice, "But your face looked a little troubled when ya' walked in."

Curse our improved communication.

"Uhhh, it's… nothing," I lied.

"Are ye' sure, Son?"

"Yeah, Dad. I - We can talk about it later. This is a little more precedent."

Similar to Astrid, my Dad kinda had the ability to see right through me. Despite the fact he wasn't as in-depth as Ast, much to my relief, I was pretty sure he could see I was hurting.

Nevertheless, with a nod, he let it slide. "Aye. This 'artifact' as Johann proclaimed, is more of a weapon in my opinion."

"Weapon?"

"Aye. A weapon older than Berk itself. Kingdoms have been forged through it…and empires have fallen because of it."

Shell-shocked was an understatement. "Does it have a name?"

"No. Only those who have yielded it know it's true title."

_That's totally specific._

"Well," I began, a little shaken, "Why haven't I ever heard about it?"

Fishlegs loves history, and frankly, so do I. Gobber loves epic tales. And weapons. Yet, here I was, at my dinner table, hearing of an ancient, kingdom-murdering weapon from my Dad for the first time.

"As Johann said, it's ancient. It was only a matter of time before I told ya'. I was hoping it would never come to this." He sighed. "It's an ancient secret only known by royal blood. Passed down from king to king. Leader to Leader." His gaze narrowed onto my mine. "Chieftan to Chieftan. And of course, to the Heir."

My face suddenly felt like winter. The room had to be spinning, I'm sure of it. "What? Dad…royal blood?"

"Indeed."

"But look at me," I pointed to my body, a little hysterical, "there's nothing royal about me!"

To my utter surprise, a smile graced my Dad's lips, and he had the audacity to laugh. "You underestimate yourself, Son. I see the forge work and dragon riding are finally paying off - "

"Dad!"

"And I saw a couple of young lassies gazing at you fondly the other day, you must be doing som- "

"DAD!"

His booming laughter filled the room. I'm sure Johann heard it from my room. "I can't believe you're actually joking during something this serious," I muttered incredulously.

My Dad's demeanor sobered a little, but a small smile remained on his face. "I guess I've taken after you a little now, aye?"

Alright, even I had to smile at."So," I began after a moment," have you wielded or even seen this…no-name weapon?"

"No, but your Great-Great-Great Grandfather has. Hamish Haddock."

Good ole Hamish. He was actually pretty skinny himself for viking standards. But he was a revered chief and is still celebrated today. Basically, he was my role model.

"Ok, ok, ok," I said trying to gain my bearings, "so what are you proposing I should do? Steal this ancient weapon before Dagur gets his hands on it and, I don't know, hide it in my closet?"

"Well, that's the tricky part. It's not exactly…close."

—

A little over an hour later, I stood at the front of the Great Hall. My Dad was to my side, and the men of the Berk council were the audience. Gobber, who's a member, wasn't present. But I was grateful. No comfort would come from seeing my mentor/surrogate uncle while we discussed this crazy idea.

"So ye' suggest, "Spitelout, my actual uncle, asked, "we send Hiccup on this quest, to stop a deranged former-chief, by himself?"

My Dad and I were kinda using Dagur as a cover-up. I know, the crazy, blood-thirsty guy plays second fiddle to some weapon. I guess the _secret meant for royal blood only thing_ was real. But still, imagining myself as royal? Laughable.

"He would be with Toothless. And fully equipped. Plus, he's trained for stuff like this," answered my dad.

"But Stoick, why must Hiccup go alone?" Asked a concerned Bucket. He's always had a soft spot for me. "Couldn't he get a little backup?"

"He can- must go alone. It would be too dangerous to send any of the Dragon Riders along. Dagur is just looking for him."

At the council's continued hesitance, my Dad continued, "And…" he paused and looked at me, "Hiccup is…more than capable. He has my complete trust that he will do what's right for him. And for Berk."

My face was starting to heat up and my neck was definitely turning red. Dad's voice was confident and fused with pride. Despite the past few years of not being a village nuisance, I was still pretty accustomed to scorn and mockery. But pride? Approval? I was still getting used to. Sometimes, I wasn't sure how to feel or what to do with it. But I stood up a little straighter and nodded at my Dad.

And with that vote of confidence, the council agreed.

—

It was nearing dawn when we made it back to our House.

"You still haven't told me where No-Name is," I asked my father as we entered our hut.

He shut the door and looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "No-name?"

"I have to call it something."

"That's true." He began to flex his vambraces; a sign he was nervous. "It has to be past the fog banks. Even farther than Helheim's Gate. But the exact location? I'm not sure."

My stomach lurched. The fog banks marked the edge of the Archipelago; like an ominous fence for evil sheep. Astrid and I have flown out there before, and that normally takes the whole day. Flying past it? I couldn't even fathom it.

"But I was hoping Johann could tell us," my dad continued, "or at least give us some clues for you to help. He was actually on his way to Meathead island to let em' know of the current situation but he was marooned by Dagur and company. The twins actually found him and brought him to me. By my guess, Dagur is on his way…"

Dad trailed off when he noticed my face, looking down at the details of our dinner table. My emotions must have been clear on my face.

"Son, ye alright?"

"Dad, why…me?"

"I told you Hiccup. Only someone of roy-"

"I know all that," I huffed, "But why…me?" Why is he putting his trust in me? Why, after the last three, monotonous years, am I being sent on…whatever this was? And, most of all, why am I the viking for the job? I mean, it wasn't too late for him to try yielding ole No-Name. He's still alive with…royal blood flowing through his veins. Plus, there had to be other chiefs or kings or heirs nearby, I mean…

My Dad sighed. "Listen Hiccup. An' listen close. I'm not sure why the Gods test us. And I'm not sure why certain things happen at the most inconvenient of times." Okay, he's definitely getting better at the _reading-Hiccup's-mind_ thing. "And I am most definitely guilty of wondering why some responsibilities are bestowed upon us. Or why we should take action."

Hearing this from my Dad would be a little shocking and awe-inspiring if it weren't for the suicide mission I was about to partake in. Nevertheless, I took comfort in knowing that my Dad…felt like me sometimes. It's easy to forget that _Stoick the Vast_ was also human.

"But," my Dad fixed his gaze upon him, that same pride radiating from him, "I know you. I know you'd do anything to protect your friends, your family, your dragons, and your village. It's what every chief does: protect their own. There's a possible danger on the horizon. Berk needs me here. And now they really, really need you out there." He paused to let me ponder.

Then he continued, his voice still filled with pride but hinting of a challenge; like every time we played Maces & Talons, "So what's your move, Son? Are you gonna' step up? For our people?"

Okay, now my Dad was coming for the mantle of _pep-talk queen_ that Astrid so humbly dubbed herself. Or king, in his case.

And the pride… well, this time, I think I knew what to do with it.

"Yes, sir."

He braced me in a bone-crushing hug. Just before my air supply ran out, he pulled away. I could've sworn there were tears in his eyes, but he blinked them away before I could confirm.

"And Son, maybe this journey will be…good for you."

My eyebrows rose in question. The quest, that could entail death or, at the very least, bodily harm, might be good for me?

"I'm not daft' son." His face was understanding. "I know you've been a little down lately. Maybe you've lost some faith in your projects or even yourself." He sighed, "Sometimes, leaving the familiar can help you understand yourself more. Appreciate life or find purpose. Maybe out there you can…find a new project." he finished in a tone that was equal teasing and loving.

My throat felt thick and my chest was suddenly warm like mead. This time, I pulled him into a bone-crushing hug (at least by my standards), and there were definitely tears present in my eyes.

Yeah, I really do love my Dad.

—

After waking Johann and prodding him about the relevant details on No-Name, we got the location of a good place start: an abandoned ship graveyard.

_Everything was just peachy._

Even crazier, thanks to the convincing of the ever-annoying trader, my Father agreed that I could bring at least one rider. And it was a no brainer.

So here I was, at our regular spot on the opposite side of the island. Astrid and Hiccup's cliff. Or cliff Asscup as it's formally known as. That comment made Astrid laugh for a good fifteen minutes, and made me…happy. Astrid laughing normally had that effect on me.

We normally met around this time, so I was a little a surprised to find out Astrid was not here. Normally I was the one late, and Astrid never forgets planned meetings. Especially for flights.

So I sat at the edge of the cliff and waited for her. The sunset was as breath-taking as ever, and I absently thought about how this might be my last time seeing it from Berk for a while. According to my Dad's oh-so articulate calculations, I should be out there for a month at the least.

_A month_. A month away from the only home I'd ever know. A month away from my Dad, Gobber, Snot, Legs, and the Twins.

And _Astrid_ I thought with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Nah. No way she would turn this down. She loved accompanying me on crazy, stupid, and slightly dangerous adventures. And this one wouldn't be different…except with a little more danger sprinkled in. But I wish she'd hurry up.

After half an hour, it was starting to become apparent that she wasn't coming. Considering Astrid's perfect attendance to our meetings, I was slightly worried. Turning to Toothless with quick intentions, in a matter of a few seconds, we were scouring the island for her.

On our way back towards the village, Toothless spotted activity on the beach on the east side of the island. Thanks to his jet-black scales and silent flight style, we were able to get pretty close and observe the group without being spotted.

Sure enough, there was Astrid; hanging out with other members of the Guards. Although the Guard consisted mostly of older vikings, there was some closer to our age. And all of them were gathered on the soft sand of Berk's beach. Some were hanging near a bonfire, cooking food and laughing. Others were playing near the shore, playfully splashing each other. Astrid was sitting were her knees up, slightly away from the group. But there was someone next to her.

Toothless made another circle above them, and upon further inspection, the body next to her was a male viking. Halver to specific; who also had his knees up.

Astrid said something over to him, maybe a whisper, but whatever the case, it caused him to laugh. Astrid joined along with him. They accidently butted heads, which caused them to laugh even more. Then after that subsided, Astrid leaned her head on his shoulder and they proceeded to gaze at the stars in front of them.

I always thought the expression 'dying of a broken heart' was just that, and a dramatic one too. But at that moment, I felt like someone drove a double-edged sword through my chest. Probably Halver.

Not only did Astrid forget about our last minute meeting, she forgot because she was busy hanging with her new friends. With Halver. The worst part? She had every right to. Who was I to interrupt her fun evening? Maybe she got bored with our little escapades. I never once thought to ask her. Maybe she wanted to branch out; try other things and meet other people…

_Halver's a cool dude_ I thought begrudgingly. It could just be a platonic thing. Toothless likes him, and he's never been anything but pleasant to me. He's tall, with sandy-blonde hair, he likes dragons, _he's what I imagine Thor looks_ like according to Ruffnut…

The other vikings suddenly came over to where Astrid was and gathered around. They began playing some game; hacky sack I thought. Astrid looked happy, really happy, kicking a sack with her new, older, and better-looking friends. _She was happier kicking a sack than with me._

Alright, I had to get out of there before my heart actually exploded and the blood leaking from the sky gave away my location. With a quiet whisper to Toothless, we turned back towards the village. I managed not to look back at Astrid.

Really, what right did I have to bring anyone from the gang along? They were all enjoying their lives, free from the burden of war. Could I really be selfish enough to drag them from peace? In a quest that, according to my father, could only be resolved by me?

No. No, I was not.

Toothless, who could always sense when my mood changes, crooned worriedly up at me.

"It's ok, bud," I replied in a calm and confident voice despite the tears threatening to come out. "It's just you and me."

—

Toothless let out a happy growl as I fitted the last bag of my stuff on his saddle. He always enjoyed night flights. And after managing to convince my father and Johann, Toothless would get his wish. We were leaving tonight.

It was a little awkward trying to explain why I suddenly changed my mind on bringing someone along. My dad must've seen something on my face because he quickly dropped the subject; much to Johann's dismay.

Before leaving, I made a trip to the forge to sharpen my sword and daggers and retrieve my shield, but also to reminisce a little. As I said, I probably wouldn't be back for a while. And the forge had been my second home. My _Dojo_ according to Gobber.

While I was sharpening my sword, the group from the beach was making their way back into town, walking across the main plaza. The whetstone was making a lot of noise, and I almost didn't notice them until it was too late. Taking my foot off the pedal, I quickly closed up shop and went into stealth mode.

Unfortunately, Astrid, being as perspective as she was, excused herself from the group and approached the forge. I knew because I was looking through the little crack in my workroom. All the windows were closed except for the back one where I spotted the group, and I stopped the whetstone as soon as I saw them in the plaza. There was no way in Midgard she could have heard me. _My stealth mode had been activated!_

Nevertheless, here she was, making her way towards the heart of the forge. The only light source was the hearth located in the center. I made sure to blow out any candles in my workroom and lock the hinges to the door. I pressed my face against it and peeped through the secret peephole that only I knew about.

Here was Astrid, wondering around the forge. Normally, it was a familiar and welcome sight; one that made me overjoyed. But with everything that's happened today, the only thing I could feel was trepidation.

Her eyebrows were scrunched down low, and she was frowning. She looked like she was searching for something. My heart was beating out of my chest, and, knowing Astrid's _supernatural_ _find-Hiccup_ powers, I was soon to be made out.

Her face turned to my door and it felt like her eyes were on me. I held my breath with all the power I had. _It would be so easy to say her name. I could ask her what I was going to ask her._ _Tell her how much-_

"Astrid!" Someone from her group called out. I guess they waited up for her in the plaza. "You coming to dinner or not?"

With one reluctant look towards my door, like she had a strong suspicion that I was cowering in my workroom, she slowly turned around. "Coming!"

I was alone once again, managing not to get caught. _Mission freaking accomplished._

With a heavy heart, I finished sharpening my sword and packed my shield.

—

"Good luck, Son."

I was sitting atop Toothless; the three of us were perched on the cliffs behind our house. We hugged once again. Dad managed to keep all of my ribcage intact. Barely. He sent Johann on his way with a boat. The plan was for me to reunite with him at Thor's rock, an island just on the edge of the Archipelago when I recovered No-Name.

"Thanks, Dad." I turned Toothless towards the sea. "And tell the Gang, Gobber…"

"Aye. I'll let em' know…you're on a surprise camping trip. With other future chiefs." We laughed quietly.

"Anything particular thing you want me to tell Astrid? I know how important she is to you. I trust the lass, too. I could let her-"

"No." I interrupted him, "Don't tell her about No-Name or the mission. Just tell her… she owes me a night flight when I get back."

My Dad's face was obviously confused but he nodded. "Be strong. Trust yourself. Trust Toothless." He patted Toothless's snout fondly. Then he turned towards me, and we clasped our forearms like warriors. "I'm proud to call you my Son."

"Thanks, Dad." I had to leave before I started crying again. My viking-masculinity was in serious question after today. With a quick flip of my foot, I locked Toothless's tail and we dove off the cliff in a bone-shaking free-fall. And with practiced precision, I unlocked his tail seconds later before we hit the rocks. Off we went into the night.

After we flew out a few miles past the giant, viking sentries that guarded the Northside of the island, I turned around for one last look. The lights of Berk were faint in the distance and we were too far out to hear any of the noises of my home. My home. For one last time, I let myself think about the things that I loved about it. The dragons, the sunsets, the Midsummer Festival, the forge, my friends, my dad, Gobber…Astrid.

All heroes go on epic quests, right? Beowulf, Dennis the Menace, Big-Boobied Bertha. Even old Hamish Haddock. And maybe, when I came back home, I'd be one myself. Hiccup, Wielder of No-Name.

Of course, this was assuming I came back alive and not in a body bag. Hopefully, Astrid would still be single.


	3. I Turn into an Eel

"Toothless stop; you're gonna drown me!"

My dragon, who I was sharing this pristine lake with, was currently doing his best fish impersonation. Yes, I bathe with my dragon sometimes. Judge me.

A sassy dragon-laugh was the only response I got. Stupid reptile.

It'd been about half a day since I left Berk. The trip to the edge of the Archipelago had taken a long time. It was hard to play 'I spy' when everything was dark and the only thing you could see was water and rocks. To pass the time, Toothless and I sang songs, and I did more impersonations of Berkians.

I'm proud to say that Astrid only crossed my mind fifteen times, tops.

By the time we reached the ominous, foggy edge, the faint lights of dawn were just breaching. Now, a stupid, unprepared hero would've proceeded to the ship graveyard first. But, being smart and only slightly unprepared, Toothless and I decided to camp out at a nearby island and investigate during the _day_. That's right. Who would go to such a spooky site in the middle of the night? Not me, I'm an intellectual.

Of course, going during the day would hinder Toothless's natural ability to be stealthy at night practically useless. His black scales would be super noticeable to any hiding enemies. And we might be a little groggy if we came in after lunch. And-

NOPE. Not doubting myself. Heroes and future chiefs don't do that.

The first island we visited was inhabited by angry, mating boars; we didn't stick around. The second island we tried was filled with herds of changewings, who were also angry. And also mating. We took off. The last island Toothless and I ventured to was only accommodated by two vikings, who in hindsight, were probably on a honeymoon trip…because they were also 'mating.' In a cave. And then they got really angry when I accidentally stumbled upon them and…you probably get the gist.

Somehow, we finally came across this vacant island. It was perfect; near the edge, nice hot springs and lakes with fish, and no mating…anything.

So Toothless and I set our base here. We would leave our heavy and unnecessary gear for the mission at this spot. If things went south, and we're ambushed or something, we would regroup back here. And if we retrieved No-Name on the first run, well, I guess we would come back here and throw a party. A victory feast for two.

I finished up my bath and sat on a flat stone to let myself dry out in the sun. Putting on my prosthetic leg with a wet stump would lead to blisters, and that would be a painful and annoying distraction that I couldn't afford. _Plus_, I thought with a frustrated sigh, _I forgot to bring a spare leg_. The margin of error was thin.

Maybe I was selling myself a little short though. I had my sword and shield, a dagger, and Toothless. My arsenal was all here. And maybe I'd be adding to it.

Thinking about the mission was easier than thinking about the actual goal of it.

I was still having trouble grasping the concept of No-Name. What even is it? I've seen some powerful weapons on Berk; I work at a forge for Thor's sake. Magnus's mace could crack shields. Hoark had a nice crossbow that he kept in mint condition. And of course, any weapon Astrid owned was sure to worthy of war. Her axe was practically legendary.

But a weapon that could start or end a kingdom? Something that could give way to civilization? Define an empire?

It had to be more complex than just a sword or crossbow. Maybe it had political merit? That could be what my Dad and Johann meant about 'only royal blood' knowing about it. Perhaps it was like gold? One no-name was worth one-thousand…schillings? Dubloons? Yaks? I wasn't sure. But the way they talked about it like it was something straight outta Asgard…well, it was a little unsettling.

And of course, there was my old friend Dagur. When we were younger, he used to try to drown me for sport. Three years in prison could've only done wonders for his mental health. Great.

I checked the end of my stump and confirmed it was finally dry. After Toothless was done, we ate a quick dinner and settled down to sleep. It'd be a long and interesting day tomorrow.

—

Almost forgot to mention, I've been having some peculiar nightmares recently.

On Berk, the usual rotation played in my head when I went to sleep: dream about dragons, new inventions, possible adventures, and _Astrid_ I thought embarrassingly.

But lately, they've decided to go on their own crazy tangent. It started last week, a few days before Toothless and I left on this journey. And they always start out the same.

When I drift off into magical dream-land, I'm on cliff Asscup with Toothless. The sun is setting and it's stunning as usual, but we're on the cliff alone. Looking at the horizon makes me feel something that I can't describe; almost like it was beckoning me towards it. But when I turn around, everyone I know is suddenly standing behind me, as if they came out of nowhere. Dad, Astrid, Gobber, the Gang, and even Snidenout the Sleepy; and he's always asleep! Weird dream? I know.

Tonight though? Different. I start on cliff Asscup with Toothless like I normally do, but the whole village is already present. The sun is setting too, but it's also different. But not that cool type of different; like that time Toothless and I tried free falling, on purpose, for the first time. The horizon was glowing, but rather than the orange-pinkish highlights that normally adorned the evening skies, it was…different. Scary different. There were multiple shades of blue. The sky and Ocean were both a really dark tint, close to like Toothless like, and it was impossible to tell where they met. I wasn't sure what happened to the sun, but it was a bright, electric-blue; almost like Astrid's eyes but even brighter. And it felt…sinister. I turned around to look at her and saw that everyone's eyes were pitch black and staring right at me. In a monotone voice, they all said my name like a choir.

"HICCUP."

I woke up screaming. It was a good thing that the island was vacant because my voice definitely reached an embarrassing, prepubescent pitch.

Toothless barged into my tent. His eyes were glowing green in the dark, and his pupils were narrowed into slits. When he determined that I was alone and safe, his eyes softened, and he crooned with concern.

"Sorry, Bud. I just had a nightmare. Go back to sleep."

He followed my commands, albeit reluctantly, and I tried to follow suit. Tomorrow would be a pivotal day, and I couldn't come in tired.

Little did I know, that would be the best sleep I'd get for a while.

—

Alright, it was go time.

By early afternoon, Toothless and I were set. I was wearing my usual flight armor; which would provide some protection. Plus, after Astrid's constant nagging that I should practice the 'art' of self-defense, it was safe to say that I was at least competent with a sword.

Hopefully, I was overthinking it. There was a chance Dagur had no idea about the graveyard. He could be lost at sea, somewhere in the vast archipelago; far from me Gods willing. I could go in, grab the…clues or whatever, and make it back to Berk for breakfast tomorrow.

Sure, I didn't really know what Johann meant by 'clues.' A map? Pamphlet? If i was lucky, it'd be something small and portable. Like a keychain or a really neat handkerchief.

Toothless interrupted my thoughts by bumping his head into my torso. He gave me his signature, gummy smile, and I couldn't help but return my own. Whatever happened today, at least I would always have him.

A few minutes later, we took to the sky. I decided to leave everything except my weapons, shield, satchel, and the map on the island. The map wouldn't really help; I've memorized the coordinates by heart by now. But…bringing the map along felt like I was bringing Astrid. And I always felt just-a-little braver when she was with me. And slightly crazier.

I took one glance back at my little campsite. Maybe it was just pre-mission jitters, but there was something in the air. I had a strange feeling I wouldn't be returning tomorrow.

—

About half an hour later, we arrived. I mentally thanked my past self for waiting till day to come here. Even in broad daylight, the place was not cute. _Gosh, past Hiccup, you stud._

There weren't any live bodies on any of the ships that I could see, but we weren't taking any chances. After confirming that there was no one present on deck, I urged Toothless to land on the nearest ship.

We made quick haste of the cargo room. There were some chests filled with pretty valuable things: dazzling jewels, fascinating books and maps, and even long, blonde hair. Well, I wasn't sure about the value of that last item.

After searching two more ships, we failed to find anything new except frustration. Toothless and I stood near the helm of the current vessel we were occupying, contemplating which ship we would tour next.

In the middle of the graveyard, there was a half-sunken, massive ship with unorthodox looking flags. Despite being partly underwater, it overshadowed the others. _Logically_, I thought with a mental forehead slap, _the clue was probably on that ship_. But it was giving me the creeps, and I wasn't alone; Toothless's reluctance was obvious.

"C'mon, Bud," I tried to comfort my dragon, "you'll be fine. What's the worst that could happen?"

With almost comical accuracy, Toothless managed to do an almost human-like eye-roll. _Great, dragon sass_.

We glided over to the short distance and landed with a soft thud.

"Eyes up, Bud." Toothless growled in agreement.

It took about six steps for me to set off a trap. There was a sharp, quick pinch at my lone ankle, and, before I even knew what was happening, I was being pulled overboard.

"TOOOOOOTHHHHLLEESSS!"

With a high pitch screech, Toothless managed to get over his initial shock and fired a small but precise plasma blast at the chord. I was free, and right on time too. One more second and I would've been swimming. Looking over the edge of the railings, I could see that there was definitely something below the surface, and it was probably a little disappointed that they missed out on a scrawny-viking lunch.

"Thanks, Toothless." I patted his snout. "I'll be more careful."

We ventured over to the hatch that led to below deck. Opening it revealed a ladder leading into the dark stomach of the ship. Well, no turning back.

We made the short climb down. Luckily, I stepped on the floor with my fake leg because, as soon as it touched the ground, it was enclosed in a bear trap.

"Well," I said looking at a Toothless, "that's one of the benefits of a metal leg, I suppose. Thank you, Red Death."

That earned a night fury nub-smack to the head.

"Ow!"

Toothless growled in his sarcastic, dragon-way.

"How can I keep it down when you hurt me?"

We wandered over to a vast room with multiple caged-chambers on each side. The ship's prison. Each chamber was wide and could probably occupy many bodies. But there were no prisoners as far as I could tell. The cells looked empty and the only sounds being made were our ragged breathing.

I grabbed an unlit torch from the wall and allowed Toothless to light it up. When the room was illuminated, I gasped.

_Bones._ Dragon bones to be specific. I shuddered in disgust and, once the realization hit, anger. _Whoever was responsible for this is a son-of-a-half-eat-_

I heard Toothless make a very mournful noise next to one of the cells, and my heart tore a little. It's one thing to just straight-up kill dragons. But to let a creature die, alone, in a small cage?

Toothless was still crooning when I made my way over. "I'm so sorry Bud you had to see this. We'll find whoever did, and we'll raid all their fish. And plasma blast them in the ass."

That made Toothless feel better if only a little.

I took a small step backward and suddenly, the spot my foot was on sank into the ground a little. _Thor damn it._

"Toothless! Get behind me!"

I pulled my shield off my back and braced it on my arm. The snapping noises of crossbows being drawn were filling the room, and I managed to cover us before the first one fired. It felt like hundreds of arrows were launched, and each one felt like hail hitting my house. It took all my strength to protect us. Suddenly, the room was silent again. I lowered my shield reluctantly. Dozens of arrows littered the floor.

"Yeah, I think there's something important here," I muttered. Toothless agreed. We looked ahead.

At the head of the room was a door so tall, that all seven-feet of my Dad could walk through it without ducking. It was decorated with intricate patterns and designs that I'd never seen before. _The captain's quarters._

"Okay, Bud. Here's the pla-"

Toothless, evidently ignoring me, sent a plasma blast through the door, incinerating it.

"Okay. I like your plan better."

Toothless responded with a gurgly laugh.

Readying ourselves for any more booby traps, we stepped into the room. There were maps on the wall and a small table with different containers containing different colored liquids off to the side. Sunlight was emitting through the room due to the small window behind the main object in the vicinity; at the center was a wide desk with a chair that looked more like a throne, and at the center of the desk, on an elevated mini platform, was a…cylinder?

"All those traps and arrows for this?" I reached to pick it up. "It's like the size of my-"

I couldn't finish my sentence because the cylinder, which in hindsight might not be your regular cylinder, was sending a billion electrical jolts up my spine. My body was twitching like a cod stranded on land, but I couldn't see anything beyond the stars in my eyes. Toothless's terrified screeching filled the room, but I didn't hear them because I really needed to pass out.

—

I awoke to incredible soreness. Every limb in my body was hurt; left leg included. Something moist was rubbing against my face. _A tongue?_

"Toothless?" I muttered.

The licking increased and eventually, I heard his happy murmurs. However, I couldn't see him very well. Sitting up, I noticed… the room was dark.

I rose up from the ground really quick, much to the dismay of my body and Toothless, and hobbled over to the window. _How long was I out? It was the middle of the day just a few minutes_ _ago? Why does my missing leg hurt so much?_

Toothless carefully nudged my side. He must've been worried sick for hours, which made me feel worse, but his loyalty was appreciated.

The forgotten reason for my pain was currently lying on the platform as if it'd never been touched. _But my body knew better._ Toothless and I approached it once again but carefully.

"Bud, Snoggletog still working?"

Toothless demonstrated his manually-automated tail that I made for him a couple of Snoggletogs ago. I managed to frame it into our regular tail set up so he could switch from dependent to independent in case of emergencies.

"Good. I'm going to try to pick up the magical, electric cylinder again. If it knocks me out, fly back to Berk and get Dad."

Toothless murmured his discontent with the idea.

"Also, don't tell Astrid. She would never let me live this down."

_Here goes nothing._ I started by putting my palm gently on the side of the cylinder, which was covered in exotic patterns and etchings. Some of them looked like runes, but it was definitely a language I couldn't read. Sparks flew up, and for a second, I thought me and the floor were going to be reunited. But it didn't hurt; it was more like a tickle. Gradually, I began to put all of my hand on it until I got the courage to pick it up. The electricity I could still feel, but it was like, I don't know, my body was immune to it now?

Examining it closely, I could see that it was almost like a sword handle. But instead of the blade, there was a blue lens covering where it would be situated. Almost like the telescope that I made a while back. I put it back in my satchel and the steady current of electricity in my body immediately died down.

I turned to my dragon. "Huh. I guess I've wielded No-Name."

Toothless looked unimpressed.

"Yeah, there's no way it can be that easy. Let's get out of here."

We made our way through the quarters, past the cells, and up the ladder, out the hatch.

"Well," I said as soon I stepped on the deck, "at least we didn't run into-"

"BROTHER!" A familiar and dread-filling voice rang out.

_Ok. This was getting a little ridiculous._

Toothless and I finally made it outside and we were met with the usual ensemble. Standing on Deck, with weapons drawn: a gang of Berserkers, Savage, and of course, Dagur the Deranged.


	4. My Impersonation of Thor

Whoever said time makes things better has clearly never met a deranged, blood-thirsty viking, who recently escaped from years of imprisonment.

Okay, maybe that's a little specific.

"My, my Hiccy," Dagur spoke in his typical, hysterical voice, with his sword waving around, "you have grown. Not such a 'hiccup' anymore huh? You're about taller than me! I bet you're quite a catch with the ladies."

I had my shield on my right arm and sword drawn with my left. "What do you want Dagur?"

"Oh c'mon, Brother! We haven't caught up in a spell. How's good ole Berk?"

"Oh, the village is doing just fine. Beating you guys in war really boosted our morale. Not to mention, it was good exercise."

That made Dagur's eyebrows twitch, but his signature crazed smile was still in place. A few of his Berserker goons snarled in response to my comment. Their crossbows were aimed at Toothless and I, creating a barrier between us.

"And how are the 'Dragon Riders' doing?" Dagur asked mockingly.

"They're gre-"

"Oh? Because its crossed my mind that it's just you and the night fury. Did the band break up?"

My jaw hardened. "We all gotta grow up one day, Dagur."

"That's too bad," he said, pouting, "I really wanted to catch up with good old Fishface the geeky one, Snothat the short one, and the blonde, twin dudes."

"Er, actually Ruffnut's a gir-"

"Above all else though, "Dagur paused to leer at me, "I really wanted to run into … Asturd?"

My fist naturally tightened around the handle of my sword. Toothless's growl to my right was a deep and menacing rumble that made the Berserkers stagger a little. Dagur, however, didn't balk.

"Astrid," I corrected.

"She was quite the beauty last time I saw her. I'm sure after a few years, she'd fill out in the right spots."

His eyebrows were bobbing up and down teasingly, and he made a crude gesture to his chest and butt. The blood in my veins was boiling like water in a scauldron. He was probably just trying to rile me up, but I couldn't help it.

Caught up in glaring at Dagur, I almost didn't feel the sparks going down my arm. My mind, which was currently preoccupied in making an escape plan, didn't register it.

"In fact, after taking care of you and the crew, I was hoping to keep her around as a barmaid-"

"Enough, Dagur! What do you want?"

"Oh I think you know, Hiccup," he snarled, "give me what you found down below the deck. And don't play dumb." He gestured to his goons and Savage who were ready to fire.

The cylinder was still an enigma to me, but I knew it was…special. There's no way in Hel Dagur should get his hands on it. The object on everyone's mind was still in my satchel, attached to my saddle. Maybe if I could distract and get them to focus their aim on me, Toothless could escape. All I had to do was say the keyword.

"So Dagur," I began pacing around the ship, attempting to draw everyone's attention, "what is this 'thing' I found down there? It's not very impressive."

He scoffed. "I find that hard to believe Brother-"

"Well, what have you heard about it then, Brother?" I challenged.

"I know it's a powerful weapon; one that could bring me great power! But I also know it's not just the weapon's power, but the power it gives to the one who wields it."

His voice sobered a little towards the end, and he sounded almost sane. Almost. The power it gives to the one who wields it. Dagur's never been poetic, but his words sent a chill down my spine. I had a sneaking suspicion of what he meant however; if the tingling going down my arm was any indication.

"And I know it's incomplete, but I know where to find the missing pieces, " Dagur continued. Savage, who put his weapon crossbow down, handed him something out of his front pocket. It looked to be a notebook, which was very weird considering Dagur was about as well-read as Snotlout. Being a natural comedian, I couldn't help myself.

"Oh, are you writing a book?" I asked, jokingly. "Deranged and Prejudice?"

Nobody laughed except Toothless. One of the goons snorted, but Dagur's glare kept him in check.

"No, Brother. This is a guide and also a map of where the rest of the Death-Bringer is and with-"

"Hold on," I interrupted, "Death-Bringer?"

"Yes. That's the name I gave him," Dagur huffed. "Only once I wield it will I know his true mant-"

"What if it's a she?"

"It is a weapon meant for a king, and it is phallus-shaped. Obviously, it's a male. Now, DO NOT INTERRUPT ME AGAIN, HICCUP."

Everyone on the ship flinched, and Savage whimpered slightly. There's the Dagur I know. I looked over at Toothless and his expression was clear: do you have a plan? And at the point, I did: get the cylinder as far away from here as possible. Glancing down at his tale, I managed to communicate what I needed him to do.

And like most of my plans, Toothless did not approve.

"Where was I? Oh yeah," Dagur went on, "once I find the rest of these pieces, the power will flow through my royal, Berserker blood."

My Dad instilled in me that a chief, in times of great conflict, must always be calm, level-headed, and patient. Dagur possesses none of these qualities; so it's kinda easy to forget that he used to be the chief of the Berserker tribe. It also explains the years of hardship and struggles their island went through, politically and economically. Despite his fall from grace, other islands, Berk included, refuse to trade with them, and the people suffered from their former chief's actions.

Also, the only crop that's grown on the island are mushrooms - the ones that aren't for eating. Not many vikings, except Tuffnut, are in the market for that.

"And once Death-Bringer, in its full form, is in my possession, I will be a God! And then I will kill you," he smiled at me. "But, because you're my brother, I'll save you for last. First, the chief from Meathead, along with his heir, Thuggory. Then I will decimate the Bob-Burgular tribe and that bratty Camicazi! Then, I will find my long lost sister and kill-"

"Sister?"

"Oh did I forget to mention?" Dagur asked nonchalantly. "According to my old man's records, I have a sibling. Honestly, I don't really care, but I can't let anyone else, who could possibly use Death-Bringer, use Death-Bringer. So shes-gots-to-go."

Okay, I heard it all. I-hads-to-go. "Well, that sounds like a plan. And I'll even give you the cylinder I found on this ship…But not today."

Dagur's eye twitched in confusion. "Not today?"

"Nope," I looked at Toothless, time for the plan. "But if you're a nice little-viking, I'll give it to you on SNOGGLETOG."

Perfect timing; everyone's eyes were on me. With cat-like quickness, Toothless jumped up in the air and elevated towards the sky. The gust of wind he created managed to knock most of the Berserkers off their feet. Savage and few of the goons tried to take aim, but Toothless was a black speck in the night - no one was going to hit him. He should be headed back to camp, and hopefully, I'd join him.

"Oops, Toothless stole Death-Bringer."

Luckily for my dragon, he was long gone and wasn't in the vicinity of the ear-shattering scream Dagur let out. But I'm pretty sure he still heard it. I'm pretty sure Berk heard it.

"Well, this was fun. I'm gonna head out so-"

"You're not going anywhere," Dagur growled. "I changed my mind; I'm gonna kill you first. Then your dragon, then your father, then your friends, and your island." He smirked, " Finally, I'll kill Asturd. But slowly, and painfully, and not before I have my way-"

Without even thinking about it, I threw my dagger at Dagur. No pun intended. I almost felt guilty for aiming for his face, but it didn't even matter because Dagur ducked out of the way just in time. The blade still managed to graze his cheek, however, and a tiny streak of blood was now lining his deranged face.

"ARGHH," he yelled. "SAVAGE, DO SOMETHING!"

"Seize him lads," Savage cried as him and his gang rushed me.

As I braced myself with my shield, time seemed to slow down. There were ten, heavily armed Berserkers all charging right at me, one of which was particularly crazy, and all I had was a gronkle-iron shield and sword. The odds were not looking good.

Suddenly, the unmistakable and familiar banshee cry of a night furry filled the air. Stupid, loyal dragon. Toothless plasma blasted a cluster of Berserkers overboard and knocked Dagur across the deck. Using my shield's bola launcher, I struck Savage, rendering him useless and tied up just as Toothless landed beside me.

"You really don't ever follow my plans, do you?"

Toothless nodded his head.

"Take care of their escape, Bud. I got Dagur." He gracefully leaped over the side and I turned to face the last Berserker standing.

His eyes were feral and he was hyperventilating like a Bull getting ready to charge. "HICCUP HADDOCK, YOU HAVE MADE A FOOL OF ME AND MY MEN, ONCE AGAIN."

I scratched my chin and squinted my eyes in mock thought, "Not as hard as I remember. You really let yourself go, Brother."

Dagur, now absolutely livid, blitzed me. Counting on it, I braced my shield against my body, but the former chief was strong. He managed to shoulder tackle me, through my defense, like I was a practice dummy and then quickly disarmed my sword. My shield was still intact though and I brought it up just as his sword was coming down.

We were locked in a physical stalemate. "Give it up Hiccy! I could do this all day."

And he probably could. Despite my recent growth, the Berserker was still slightly bigger. I was tiring and both of my arms were going to give out any second. Time to outsmart him.

Using his overpowering momentum, I pushed him to my side and brought my dominant hand to land a punch - which he caught with his other hand. My whole front was exposed as Dagur had me basically pinned. He grinned.

"You've gotten better, I'm actually sweating! It's too bad - I was having fun."

Just as he thrust his sword, ready to run me through, time seemed to slow down again. Okay, this isn't natural. Maybe my life was flashing before my eyes? Was this the moment I die? I tried to think of the things I'd miss in life, but my focus was stuck in the moment.

Dagur was going to turn me into a Hiccup-kabob unless I did something. Something crazy. The power it gives to the one who wields it, huh?. The realization hit; I think I finally understood what he meant. Hopefully, holding it for a few minutes counted as 'wielding'.

Mentally channeling all my energy into my left arm, I willed myself to create a spark. My mind raced with thoughts of lightning and thunder. As if it was totally natural, a blue electric bolt went down my veins, and sparks flew out of my body like I was a skrill. Still in slow motion, Dagur's face changed from confident victory, to shock, to scared of being shocked, all in a second. And I, being courteous of course, let him have it.

The force of impact blasted Dagur back so much, he flew a few meters backward. His notebook fell out of his front pocket and was now sitting in front of me. Time returned to normal, but I stood still - I needed a few seconds to process what happened.

Toothless, who was apparently finished with his task, landed next to me. A few stray flares were still making my forearms and chest sparkle. He must have seen what happened because his eyes were wide in disbelief, and he approached me warily.

"Did you like my impersonation of Thor?"

He hesitated for a few seconds like he was scared, and it made my heart ache more than I thought it would. But Toothless eventually gave me a gummy smile and bobbed his head up and down like I did a trick, and I embraced him in a hug to ensure him I was still his crazy, little human.

"Hmm, I guess I'm the offspring of lightning and death now? It seems like you aren't living up to your name."

With a quick nub smack to my head, the heartfelt moment was over.

I picked up Dagur's discarded book and cautiously trudged over to him. That much electricity would definitely incapacitate a normal viking, but this was Dagur. He'd probably jump up on to his feet, asking me if I ready for round two. Oddly enough, I would be. That little stunt I pulled left me feeling energized like I just woke up from eight hours of sleep.

I stood over Dagur's body examining the damage. His skin was mildly red and most likely burned. He looked to be deeply asleep, but his moving chest indicated he was breathing and still alive. Hooray. I looked at my discarded sword lying a few feet to his left and picked it up. It was obvious what should be done, but with a sigh, I dismissed the thought and resheated my weapon.

Despite how tumultous our replationship was, I probably could never bring myself to kill Dagur. Or anyone really. I settled for tying him against the helm.

The sounds of struggling Berserkers in the water reached our ears. Looking over the rail I could see that a lot of them looked liked they didn't know how to swim.

I tossed them a giant plank large enough for them to use to float and some rope found on the side. It'd take them some time to climb aboard, but they'd get it eventually. " If you know what's good for you, don't follow us."

They didn't thank me.

After retrieveing my slightly bloodied dagger, we made our getaway. Toothless did a thorough job of obliterating their ship. For the time being, the Berserkers would be marooned, but they'd find a way to leave. Hopefully, they wouldn't catch up.

—

Thor's rock was a still a little ways away. I was still riding the high of my new…gift, but I could tell Toothless was slowing down. Dawn was just breaking, and he'd been awake for a whole day packed with action. We needed to land soon to rest.

"Almost there, Bud. Then you can sleep."

"Aroooo," he responded, softly.

Now that we had light, I read some of Dagur's book, which was more like a manual for the cylinder. The handwriting was neat and the content was sophistacated - obviously, Dagur wasn't the writer. But there was no title nor mention of an author. More importantly, no mention of the cylinder's name either — No-Name was growing on me too. Some of it was written in a language I couldn't decipher, but the beginning was in Norse.

The exterior of the cylinder, aside from the fancy decorations and runes, consisted of buttons. One button releases a green gas that I'm pretty sure is, or at least is similar to, zipple back gas. Toothless and I tested it out on the water, and just like Barf and Belch, we made a miniature wall of fire. Apparently, there was a complimentary trigger that made the spark, but a plasma blast does the job too.

Another button located on the opposite side of the cylinder, when pressed, causes a familiar looking slime to be secreted from the cylinder's end. Toothless and I tested it out by circling a giant sea stack and smearing it with the substance. Using the spark trigger this go around, I lit up the slime and set the rocks aflame: monstrous nightmare gel.

While the outside was awesome, the inside mechanics of the cylinder was…strange. The first thing that boggled my mind was the storage system, or lack of really. After reading the manual and figuring out how to pop open it, the interior consisted of a cavity. The space was divided into small sections, big enough for more lenses. The first one was occupied by the blue, sparky lense, but there were five more empty spaces behind it — six possible lenses.

Weirdest design detail of all, the lens chamber took up all of the inside - no compartment to hold gas or gel. It was a little counterintuitive, but I tried using all the cylinder's ammunition. Wasting things was never my style, but I could always get more on Berk, and the side features weren't really the most imperative thing about the weapon, oddly enough. And after a few minutes of lighting things on fire, it was obvious that the magical ammunition wasn't gonna run out anytime soon.

Five more powerful lenses were out there. Are they sitting somewhere in the Archipelago? If whoever made them was smart, probably not. Is there anyone else looking for No-Name? Dagur mentioned Camicazi and Thuggory, but they aren't the only heirs in the world. What other powers do the lens give? If I could turn into an animal or dragon… my childhood dreams…nevermind I'm getting carried away.

I summoned the sparks to light up my arm. The blue electricity was rejuvenating and kinda addicting. Plus, something in the back of my head tells me that I could've done a lot worse to Dagur. If this was the only superpower ever to be bestowed to me, I'd be okay.

As for the other lenses, Dagur mentioned the book had a map. Just as I was pulling it out though, a flash of light hit my eye. Toothless saw it too because he signaled for me to look down. Just near the horizon, a small longboat was sailing towards. On the vessel, two people stood aboard, obviously trying to get my attention.

We flew closer until the faces were recognizable: Camicazi and Thuggory. They made room for us to land on the bow of the boat.

"Boy is it good to see you two," I said smiling.

Back when I was younger, we used to be quite the trio. Being the children of the Chiefs of the 'Archipelago three,' we were kind of obligated to be friends, but over time, they became more like family. Time and responsibilities made us grow apart a little, but we still kept in touch; they each had their own dragons as evidence.

But the way they were gazing at me, like I was a ghost, was concerning.

"You guys?"

"Hiccup," Camicazi spoke in a raspy voice, "you're…here. You're alive."

I looked down at my body. "Yep. I am. Is that a revelation or something?"

They looked at each other, like it was a miracle, and then back to me.

"Well buddy," Thug started, "it kinda is. Johann told everyone that you went…missing"

My face froze in anticipation of some elaborate joke. Thuggs and Cami used to play some legendary pranks that rivaled the Twins. But their faces were void of any humor.

"Johann went to Berk and told your Dad, and he called for a huge search party." Camicazi eyes were wide and a little red. Was she crying? "And he asked us specifically to look for you out here."

"I've only been gone for a few days. Why are you guys so shook?"

"Johann came back with your stuff, and it was all torn up. Your helmet and shirt were bloodied, and he had your leg. Plus, Toothless's tail, which was shredded."

"My leg? I didn't even bring a spare."

"Well, no one knows that," Camiczai exclaimed. "Everyone in the Archipelago thinks you're dead!"

Oh. Oh. Well, that explains it.


	5. My Paper Supplier is my Enemy

Oddly enough, I'm not totally surprised that Berk thought I was dead. With my tendency to run into wild dragons, jump off cliffs, and play with lightning, I was more shocked it wasn't sooner. If anything, my disappointment came from missing…

"Wait, did Berk already have my funeral?"

Camicazi coughed in embarrassment and Thuggory was pointedly looking at the sky. They responded in unison. "Yes."

"But the search party-"

"It was more to find your body."

"Well that's great," I rolled my eyes. "Wait, was it traditional? All the flames and arrows she-bang? What did you guys put on the ship?"

Their embarrassment increased ten-fold along with the redness on their cheeks. Thuggory faced me, "Well, all the stuff Johann brought. And most of your clothes, one of Toothless's tail, all of your armor and books…"

"Oh c'mon!"

"Hiccup, give them a break," Camicazi exclaimed. "They're all sad and angry and mourning because 'the pride of Berk' is gone." Her gaze focused on me, "even Snotlout."

I had to audacity to chuckle. "Well, that's good to hear he cares. How is…the rest of the gang?"

"You mean Astrid?"

"Yes-I mean no. Well, I mean…" now I was embarrassing myself.

"Fishlegs cried. A lot," Camicazi continued. "The twins were in distraught, and I think Ruffnut lost some bet to Tuffnut over you. All of Berk feels bleak and grey. Your Dad…"

"Yeah, okay," I looked down. "And Astrid?"

"Imagine how you'd feel if you lost her. I'm sure that's what she's feeling about right now."

I sighed and looked out towards the sea. "How about you guys?"

This time, Thuggory laughed, "Cami here was a mess, and I shed a few tears…but we both had a feeling you weren't dead."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, you're too stubborn. And I'm pretty sure you're allergic to dying."

We all shared a laugh, Toothless included.

"Alright then, let's head back to Berk. Bring them some good news."

They shared another look and then back to me, but instead of humor, there was apprehension in their faces. "About that," Cami began, "we're not so sure that's a good idea."

—

We got situated at a port tavern on an island Camicazi and I never been to. Fortunately, Thuggory frequents places like this, and to my surprise, I'm quite the celebrity here. 'Dragon boy' the locals called me. At least it got us a free meal at the bar and Toothless a basket of fish.

I don't normally go to taverns, but I've been around drunk vikings. The tales they spun were both amazing and crazy, and they're always alcohol-induced. What Camicazi and Thuggory we're telling me right now was amazing, in a scary sense, and super crazy, but they were both sober.

"So let me get this straight," I began calmly. "Johann is not actually a trader?"

"Yes," they said together.

"He's… evil?"

"Yes, in a way. Corrupted is a better adjective. What's he doing is definitely not good for Berk or the rest of the Archipelago," Camicazi explained.

"He wants No-Name?" They looked at me confused. "Oh. How do I begin? There's this artifact or weapon whatever-"

Thuggory interrupted, "We know all that. Our parents gave also gave us the 'talk.' But No-Name?"

"I don't know it's name!"

"Didn't you wield it?"

I snorted, "Yeah. But it didn't give me its name, just this."

After subtly scanning the room to make sure no one was watching, I stuck out my arm. Third time around was much easier - almost like breathing, except much cooler. The familiar blue glow went down my biceps and forearm, and tiny sparks flew out.

Their reaction was comical, and because I wasn't trying to draw attention to myself, I barely held in my laughter. Thuggory's face was especially hilarious - like a child on Snoggletog,

"Dude! You're Thor! That's way cooler than our's!"

"Yeah, I know- Wait. 'Ours?' What do you mean?"

Camicazi smirked, "You're not the only one with powers."

From her satchel, she pulled out another lens, just like mine, but it was a light green color.

"Woah! Where did you get that?"

She shrugged, "This viking sailor found it in some unknown land, far west. I think the bloke's name was Leif something? Said he went through a lot of trouble getting it."

"And he just gave it to you?"

Her face was shameless, "I'm quite persuasive."

Thuggory muttered something under his breath which caused Camicazi to elbow him in the gut.

"So the power comes from the lens?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Thuggory said. "But the cylinder is supposed to, I don't know, bring it all together?"

"Well, I'm guessing you both have held it. What did it do to you?"

"De la merde fraîche est arrivée. Et maintenant, nous pouvons parler de vous devant votre visage," Thuggory said nonchalantly.

My eyebrow rose past my forehead and my mouth refused to close — probably as funny as their reaction to my sparkly arms. Thuggory and I joked about learning French a few months back to mess with Snotlout. Either he took some lessons from an excellent teacher and became fluent in a short amount of time, or it was the lens. I was leaning towards the latter.

"The lens made you guys multilingual? Seriously?"

_Not only that, Hiccup._ My whole body flinched. I knew that was in my mind because neither of my friends' mouths moved, but it was Camicazi's voice — inside my head.

"Okay, that's creepy. Telepathic powers?"

"I know," Thuggory spoke, "and we can talk long distance."

Camicazi examined the lens, "I call it Loki's lens."

"Wait," I squeaked, "Loki's lens? Can you turn… into animals and dragons and stuff?"

"No?" they responded.

"Oh," I quickly hid my disappointment. _Stupid, childhood dream._

_Your childhood dream was to turn into animals?_ Thuggory voice rang out but in my head, proceeded by them laughing out loud.

"Hey! No reading my mind without consent or I'll shock you both." They held their hands up in surrender.

"Here," Camicazi offered me the lens, "your turn."

Last time I held a one for the first time, I faceplanted onto the floor. Now in public, I really didn't want to be around other vikings if something similar were to happen.

"Uh, maybe later. Tell me more about Johann."

"Right," she put away the lens," after your funeral, Stoick asked us to look around Thor's Rock for you. But when we arrived, Johann was there along with…company."

"Company?"

"Viggo Grimborn," Thuggory said grimly. "Leader of the Dragon Hunters and a businessman."

"What do you mean 'businessman'?"

"Exactly that," Thuggory took a swig of his drink. "He's a smart, calculated guy. He focuses on strategy and planning, and he's big on supply & demand. Almost like an anti-Hiccup, I think. He's not some warlord nor is he some dragon serial killer, but he stands to make a lot of money by hunting dragons."

My jaws clenched, and my fist tightened around my mug. Of course, not everyone is as accepting of dragons as us— Hel, it took me a while to convince Berk. Most tribes stopped killing dragons after the Great War because the raids stopped, and we've even shown some allies how to ride them. But killing dragons for a profit?

Vikings, like Dad, use to talk of dragons like they were mindless beasts. However, no dragon ever has killed for fun or to earn some gold. Somedays, I'm not too sure who the real monsters are.

"So Thug and I spied on them," she shook her head. "They came to an agreement."

"What kind of agreement?"

"Johann helps Viggo get the cylinder. Viggo helps Johann conquer Berk and surrounding tribes."

Perhaps I was drunk after a couple of sips because I had trouble fathoming what Camicazi just said. Was there some alternate Johann? Who was taller than 5'10 and had tattoos?

My face must've gone slack because Thuggory waved his hand in front of it. "Midgard to Hiccup, did you hear her?"

"Hear? Yes. Believe? Still working on it." I stood up and put twisted my hands in my hair. "We've know Johann forever. I don't remember getting paper from anyone else, anytime ever."

"He's trying to kill you. Kill all of us, "Thuggory spoked animatedly. "He's the one who tipped off Dagur! He set you up to die!"

I threw my arms in the air. "Well, what does Viggo need the cylinder for? Is he some long lost prince?"

"No, I don't think so. But he's in charge of the dragon hunters, so I'm willing to bet the cylinder has a role in that. And if not, he could always sell it for a high price."

The dread in my heart doubled, and I glanced over at Toothless. My best friend, along with hundreds of dragons, were in danger all because of human greed.

Camicazi put her hands on my shoulder, "Look Hiccup, I know it's hard to believe when someone you've know for a long time isn't who they really are. Trust me I know." She gestured to herself and Thuggory, "But we know what we heard — our homes are in danger. Our dragons are in danger. We need a plan."

I looked at my friends, the worry and anger they felt for their tribes evident in their eyes, and knew it was time to act like a chief.

"Okay. Let's make a plan."

—

We stood at the edge of the docks after spending the night at an inn. The plan was simple: get the other lenses, kick Johann and Viggo's ass, and don't die trying.

Thuggory and Camicazi agreed on staying behind, much to my displeasure.

"Are you guys sure? I'd feel better if-"

"We can't, Hiccup." Thugg put his hand on my shoulder. "Someone's gotta stay behind and guard our island. And you're more equipped to get them, night fury and all."

Toothless warbled and grinned at the mention. Of course, having the fastest dragon around is their excuse for this solo escapade. If the map was correct, the other lenses were scattered in different locations — and given the incredible amount of detail, there was no reason to believe otherwise.

But doing this alone would be hard. I'd never been to any of these places, and even after holding the green lens and gaining its powers, I was reluctant to leave familiar waters. At least I didn't faint when I held it; only a slight headache. On the bright side, I could now speak French.  
Unfortunately, according to Camicazi, I would only know how to speak a language once I was exposed to it, and she wasn't so sure how much exposure it would take. The thought of me communicating with someone foreign, in a language I didn't speak, for a long amount of time, made me want to puke — I was awkward enough talking Norse.

"So, hypothetically speaking, if I found all of these lenses and put them in No-Name, how would you guys know that I'll still be…me?"

Camicazi eyes widened, "What do you mean?"

Last night, I went over Dagur's notebook after Thugg and Cami went to bed. I couldn't decipher all of it, but the parts that I could were descriptive enough. The amount of bloodshed and war waged, over this 'barrel of destruction' as Thuggory so proudly dubbed it, was sobering. Many people lost their lives over the cylinder, and it was just sitting in my satchel.

"Well, we already established that Viggo and Johann are corrupted. And the cylinder is supposed to be this all-powerful weapon that gives us cool powers and stuff. Corruption normally stems from power and, uh…" I huffed and rub ran my hand through my hair. "I'm not sure I trust myself What if I can't handle it? Better men than me have tried."

My face was downwards in shame, looking at the planks of the pier, and I refused to face them until Camicazi snapped me out of my stupor.

"Hiccup," she said both fiercely and empathically. I turned my head towards her and Thuggory.

"There's no one we trust or believe in more to get the job done," she said as they both put their hands on each of my shoulders. "You're the best of all of us."

"She's right bro," Thugg followed. "You're the bravest, stubborn, and dramatic dragon-riding viking I know."

"Thanks."

_And if you ever need us, just tell us. We're with you._

_I will you guys_ I said using my newly acquired telepathic abilities. We weren't sure how far they would work, but for our sake, I hoped the reception was good.

I straddled Toothless preparing to take off towards the east. We restocked some of our supplies at the local market; the celebrity discount was helpful. The journey would be long and tedious, and this would probably be my last time talking to friends for awhile — most of them think I'm dead anyway.

"So have you decided if you want us to tell anyone from Berk about you and the plan?."

"Just my Dad."

Thuggory cocked his eyebrow, "Just him? None of the riders?"

"Nah. They're bad at keeping secrets, especially Fishlegs."

"Okay, but what about Astrid?" Camicazi asked.

"I'm not sure why you guys keep mentioning her, she's-"

"Not just a friend?"

"What? No, I - just, it's uh…" I sighed. "She's different, okay."

"We're not idiots Hiccup."

I tried to picture her reaction to finding out I was alive. Knowing Astrid, she'd probably get on Stormfly, find me, hit me with her axe, and attempt to help me. I was risking my neck going past the edge, but I could never, would never put her in that position.

"Berk needs Astrid," I said resolutely._ I need her to be safe._ Hopefully, they didn't hear that.

"Okay. Just Stoick then," Camicazi nodded. "He'll be pleased to know you're alive, and he'll keep the facade going."

"You guys sure they won't just attack our islands straight up?"

"Nah," Tbuggory responded. "Like I said, Viggo isn't a warlord and Johann can't do yakcrap without the cylinder. They'll be too busy chasing the lenses, and as far as we know, we're the only vikings who know where they are. Plus, we'll keep them occupied."

Thuggory and I clasped forearms, and Camicazi kissed my cheeked and enveloped me in a tight embrace. Thugg must've felt left out because he eventually made it a group hug. "Good luck, Hiccup. Stay safe, we'll see you soon."

"Thanks guys. We'll meet again." Hopefully.

Toothless and I flew off towards the skyline. Once we were in the clouds, Toothless spun in a tight spiral that always made me whoop in delight. Despite the danger looming on the horizon, it was hard to be brooding on such a beautiful day.

Next stop: Athens.


	6. New Friends in Dangerous Places

We were greeted by flaming arrows. Apparently, Athens was not fond of dragons.

Toothless and I barrel rolled through the sky, narrowly avoiding blazing projectiles. Soldiers were lining the outside wall, ready to fire again. According to the map, the lens was somewhere in the center of Athens. I wasn't too sure what my plan was heading in — I was hoping it'd figure itself out by the time we got here. But in just three, short days, we arrived at the city.

City was an understatement.

Even a few miles out, we could see the white, marble columns of an enormous temple situated on hills. Several temples actually. To top it off, there was a giant, golden statue of a woman holding a much smaller, but still imposing, winged-woman in her right hand. To her left was her shield, and her spear, which was gripped in her opposite hand. I read in the notebook, and in a couple of books back on Berk, about how dedicated Grecians were to their God. But this was kind of overkill.

Outlining the temples were stone buildings that were tiny compared to the former; Athenian houses, I assumed. Between the houses was a plethora of peaceful and chaotic activity. The city was teeming with life: citizens walking on the roads, worshipping at the temples, or interacting with other people. I even saw a few, strange animals roaming through the narrow roads.

Athens was breath-taking, and if it wasn't currently trying to kill me, I'd probably stop to appreciate it.

"Retreat, Bud!" I screamed.

Toothless made a beeline back towards the direction we came from. We could probably regroup and come up with a better plan in the woods.

Just when I thought we were out of reach, Toothless's screech broke me out of my focus. I looked back and saw that a stray arrow had pierced his tailfin and set it aflame.

Fortunately, it was the fake one I made, and the flames wouldn't harm him. Unfortunately, we only had a minute or two before we crashed.

Trying to steer Toothless towards a nice landing spot was proving difficult; Athen's surrounding lands included mountains, sharp shrubs, and other terrains that would lead to certain death.

"This might be it, Bud," I yelled. Toothless roared in a panic. "It's been an honor!"

Just before I accepted my inevitable doom, Toothless spotted a clearing with a river. He smacked me with his nub to get my attention.

"I love you- oww, what - oh. Oh yeah! Aim for the water, Toothless!"

Spreading his wings to soften the blow, Toothless dove towards the water. The fall was tumultuous, and the river was not as serene as I was hoping. In fact, it was filled with raging and unpredictable currents. The surface was covered in white rapids and rocks.

"Well, shi-" we hit the river and my vision went dark for a few moments. I somehow managed to detach myself from the saddle, which in hindsight, was a bad move. I didn't know where this river was going, and if we got separated, I'm not sure how we could find each other.

Having my head be plunged underwater made hearing impossible; I could barely hear Toothless. But I could've sworn I heard someone calling out behind us. There's no way I could turn around to check.

Plus, I didn't get the chance. A few more meters downstream, I could see an edge. There was mist rising over the top, and the unmistakable sounds of water crashing down reached my ears: a waterfall.

We toppled over the edge, and when I met the surface of the lake, everything went black.

—

My dreams were different this time around.

I was not on Berk for starters, I wasn't sure where I was. It was most certainly an island, the ocean surrounding me was a dead give away, but the geography was unclear —- mostly due to the fact that everything was dark and foggy, and reeked of death.

The only definite fact was that there was a giant mountain that comprised most of the island. It towered over everything, and the peak reached past the dark clouds. However, there was a bright light, shining where I assumed the top was.

Considering the rest of the ensemble, the top looked absolutely delightful. All I needed was my…

I turned around, and looked both ways, but found out I was alone.

"Toothless!"

No response.

"Toothless! Where are you?"

Panic started to set in, and my lungs were hyperventilating. Alone on an ominous island, without Toothless —who hasn't left my side the past few days — was making me lose my mind.

I kept screaming his name until the ocean suddenly started stirring. The water raged and rocked around the island so much, it felt like it was shaking, and the waves were reaching heights that were…not good.

As terrifying as they were, my only concern was my dragon.

"Toothless! Where did you go?" Tears started to cloud my vision; I couldn't help it. "Don't leave, please!"

A vagrant wave rose above the island, almost big enough to immerse the mountain, but still capable of drowning everything else — including me.

I was still calling for Toothless when the water smashed against me, and I went under again.

—

"Toothless!" I woke up from the dream in a cold sweat…wait, not sweat. River water. I was just fighting for my life against the currents and fell over the edge of a waterfall. I must've gotten knocked out and washed onto shore.

The island, the mountain; it was just a dream. A soggy, wet dream—wait…nevermind.

My body throbbed as I stood up. We ended up on a little sandy shore bank of the lake. A waterfall cascaded behind me. My dragon…

The unmistakable, familiar roar rang out, along with an unfamiliar battle cry of a human.

Stumbling a little, I ran over the raised bog towards the noise. What I saw made my breath stutter.

Toothless, crouched in a deadly stance with his pupils in slits, was engaged in combat with some…guy. He looked to be about my age, with black hair and green eyes. In his hand was a golden sword; which the design was nothing like I'd seen on Berk. It was a few feet long, double-edged, with a leather-wrapped handle, and along with its color, the shape was strange — almost like a leaf. He had to be a local.

The stranger currently had the weapon raised up and ready to strike, but he was keeping his distance. Was he gonna throw it? Like a spear?

Toothless was idle for some reason, but I didn't know why. Sure, the dude has a cool sword, but we've dealt with overly curious or drunk strangers before. Usually, it ends with a plasma blast or ear-shattering roar, them running away in terror, and us dying of laughter. But Toothless stood still in apprehension.

Suddenly, the stranger pointed his sword at the water, and the river began to rise; not like a wave, but like a serpent. Then he shifted to point at my dragon, and the water crashed down onto him, rendering his plasma blast useless.

Toothless was fighting a…water magician? A water nymph? Is that the right term? I wasn't sure, but Toothless was vulnerable. I raised my own hands, preparing to electrocute the…dude.

My arms were glowing blue and I pointed in the stranger's direction. I practiced this on trees whenever Toothless and I camped out, so I was pretty adept at this point. The sparks funneled down my arm and I summoned a bolt to hit…

Wait. He was wet. And so was the ground. And Toothless. I wasn't sure if he could take the electricity, and I was going to take the risk. Plus, I didn't want to kill the guy, not really.

I ran in between them, shielding Toothless from the stranger.

"Toothless!" I screamed as the stranger began to charge. He stopped when he heard my voice. "Leave him alone, aqua boy."

He looked at me confusingly, "Προσπαθώ να σε προστατεύσω. Ο δράκος επρόκειτο να σας φάνε."

Thors dammit. The lens better kick in soon, I wasn't too confident in my ability to fight the magic-water man. My swimming skills were subpar.

I knew what to do.

Turning to face Toothless, I stuck out my right arm towards his snout. He looked at me flabbergasted, _This? Right now?_

I nodded assuringly. _Trust me._

Placing my palm up, I turned away and faced the stranger as Toothless put his snout in the remaining space; connecting us. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung in awe.

"The beast is your friend," he asked in Greek, but I could perfectly understand. I almost laughed in relief.

"Yes," I responded. The only thing weirder than perfectly understanding a language after hearing it for the first time is speaking it. "He's my best friend. His name is Toothless."

"Toothless?" He looked dumbfounded. "But he's got teeth. A lot of teeth."

"Yeah, it's a long story. Please don't kill him. Or me."

His face remained the same, but he lowered his weapon. Something in the back of my mind told me that I should keep my guard up. Just being near this guy was a little daunting. It almost felt like he was giving off an aura of power. Not to mention, he just commanded a river to drown my dragon like he was some Ægir.

"I'm not going to kill you. In fact, I was trying to save you," he approached me cautiously. "I saw you and…Toothless crash into the river and I caught you."

"Caught me?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "If you fell down the falls, without my help, you definitely would've been smushed into a pita."

I had no idea what a _pita_ was, but it probably wasn't good.

"Anyways, when I pulled you on shore, the beast was hovering over you like prey. My best guess, he snatched you from the ground, but you put up a fight and crashed him into the river."

"Close," I rubbed Toothless's snout soothingly. He was not liking this guy's story. "I was riding him, and his tail was destroyed."

The water dude's eyes widened once again. "Riding him? Like a peg…uh"

"Like what?"

"Nevermind," he gauged me critically. "What's your name?"

"Not sure I should tell you."

"I saved your life."

Toothless growled. "Yeah but then you almost killed my dragon, who was very worried about me."

He lowered his head, and to my utter shock, his face was red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. Truly. Look, he looked like…a monster I fought and I thought he was going to kill you."

"Monster?"

"Yes. Monster. We have a lot of those around here." He faced me again. His eyes softened. It took me a minute to realize how intimidating they just were. "But your dragon is not one of them. I'm sorry."

"I'll tell you what, strange, water-magician…"

"Water magician?"

I stepped back from Toothless. "Do what I just did to my dragon, and I'll tell you my name."

He opened and shut his mouth a few times, like fish. How fitting. "What if he — you know —he…"

"Eats you?" He nodded. "You got stop judging things before you get to know them, man." His face froze, and he stared at me like I said something that hit home. "Go on. Stick your arm out, palm up. Let him meet you the rest of the way."

The stranger stared at me a little longer. Something was offsetting about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it until now: he looked just like me. His hair was darker, and his eyes were more sea-greenish, but I could see how people would mistake us for brothers.

And how scary can someone, who looks like me, be?

True to my instruction, he stuck out his arm and turned away. Toothless shot me a look and I nodded at him to go on. He met him the rest of the way.

The stranger looked up in shock to see his hand on Toothless's snout. Then he chuckled in disbelief and delight. "Okay, this is amazing."

He stroked Toothless's head, which he responded with purrs of delight. And in typical Toothless fashion, he demanded scratches, which the stranger obliged. He stuck his tongue out as the stranger increased his affections, which caused him to laugh some more. I couldn't help but smile.

"Hiccup."

He looked up. "Bless you?"

"No, that's my name. Hiccup."

He covered his mouth in shock and jumped a little in the air. "You're Hiccup!"

"That's what I just said…"

"Hiccup Haddock of Berk! The 'Dragon Master!' Trainer and tamer of dragons. I heard about you!"

Okay, now it was my turn to be embarrassed. "From where?"

"Oh sometimes I hang out in local docks and ports and here tales from travelers, fishermen, and traders. You're quite the catch, bro."

My back stiffened. Traders.

"Oh man. This is your dragon? The 'unholy offspring of lightning and death itself?' The 'black blur in the night?' One shot, one kill?"

I looked over at Toothless who was lying belly up, tongue out, still begging for attention from his new found friend. "Yep."

"Dude, you are a legend! I've actually always wanted to visit your island to see if the stories were true, but you guys are pretty far if I'm correct."

I chuckled nervously. If this random Grecian knows about me, who else does? I wasn't sure, but it probably wouldn't bode well for my chances of getting the lens. I had to get to it, and get out of here.

"Well, thanks for saving me-us. But we gotta go, so…" I gestured with my head to Toothless to quit lollygagging.

"Wait," he put his hand on my shoulder. "Come back to my camp."

"I'm not too sure, man. We're kinda on a deadline." I lied. Kinda. We weren't on a deadline, but the quicker we got back to Berk, the better.

"Join the club," he muttered like he forgot I was there. I could tell because his eyes widened a little in shock. "I mean, c'mon! I got some food for you and…what does Toothless eat?"

"Mainly fish."

He shuttered for some reason. "Well, I'm camped out near the beach so you could catch some over there. Plus, his tail is pretty banged up."

Thors dammit. I completely forgot about his tail. The leather and pulleys were completely burned through, and I would need a forge and material to fix it.

"You got a forge?"

"Nah, but I know a guy." He smiled at me. "Trust me."

"Why should I?"

He looked over at Toothless and shrugged, "I thought I passed the test."

Damn. He's good. I was hungry, and I needed to repair Toothless's tail.

"Alright. But what's your name?"

His smile became a little mischevious. It might sound a little ridiculous, but if this guy was a relative to a God, it had to be Loki.

"Percy. And I think we can help each other out, Hiccup."


	7. Trouble in Athens

I've never been good at small-talk, at least when there's something in the way. Sure, I'm a better conversationalist than most vikings, and I could definitely out pompous Snotlout with dragon facts if I tried. But talking about dragons or weapons is difficult when something is scratching at my chest. It's probably the reason why my Dad and Astrid are so exceptional at reading me. According to Camcazi, it's what makes me such a genuine person.

To Thuggory, it's why I'm still single.

We sat around a fire roasting some chicken. It took a while to reach Percy's camp, but true to his word, it sat on a beach. Toothless was fast asleep behind us after enjoying a large amount of fish. Catching the fish was surprisingly easy; something told me Percy had something to do with. But he looked a little sad when we hauled in our prize. Maybe he was part fish?

We casually talked around the flames like we were old buddies. I'll admit though, Percy sounded like a nice guy. He talked about his life, his village, and his Mom. In return, I talked about Berk and riding dragons, much to his delight. Keeping my guard up was proving to be difficult; Percy was a really good listener. If he grew up in Berk, we'd probably be great friends.

There was still the gronkle in the room though: he still hadn't told me about his abnormal affinity towards water, and I still hadn't informed him about my lightning arms. Plus, I know he brought me here for an ulterior motive. I gave him the honey, time for the hatchet.

"So…are you going to tell me about the water-magic?"

"It's not water-magic," he sighed. "I don't know how to explain this without freaking you out."

"You underestimate how freaky the past week has been, Percy. Try me."

"Do you believe in gods, Hiccup?"

The question caught me a little off guard. Of course vikings believe in gods: Thor, Freyja, and not to mention the Twins' favorite, Loki. Gothi taught me and the other kids all we know, and we hold rituals and festivals over them. I use to blame them for my shortcomings, but lately, I've been thanking them for the past few, decent years.

As much as my belief ran, it had to pale in comparison to these guys.

"I believe in them sure, but I also trust science and my gut. Most things can be logically explained with observation and experimentation."

He nodded. "Well, what if I told you I was a son of a god?"

My eyes narrowed, anticipating the joke. Percy continued staring at me with no trace of humor.

"Your dad is a god? Which one?"

"Poseidon."

My mouth hung open, and there were a few minutes of silence between us. The only sounds were the oceans waves and Toothless's snores.

I wasn't the most in-depth viking on Greek folklore, but even I knew him.

"That explains a lot."

Percy's eyebrows rose. "You know of him?"

"God of the ocean?"

He chuckled. "You're smart, Hiccup Haddock. Yes, that and earthquakes and horses." He turned his face towards the ocean. "That's why I could do those…things at the river."

"Those 'things' weren't bad, necessarily."

He faced me again, wearily. "You seem to be taking this well. Demigods aren't normally good news and the reaction isn't normally pleasant."

It was my turn to chuckle. "I'm not really normal. That's how I met Toothless." That made him smile. "I don't know much about Greek gods or demigods, but I know about having special abilities."

His brows furrowed in question. Well, he was honest with me, it was my turn. I closed my eyes and summoned the electricity to flow down my arms. Sparks danced on my palms and biceps. I opened my eyes and saw Percy slack-jawed.

"You…you're…a son of Zeus."

The energy died down in my confusion. "No? My dad's name is Stoick."

"But…how-"

"If anything, it'd be a son ofThor. I am a viking…"

"Hiccup! Your body— how did you do that?"

"It's why I'm here."

I explained No-Name, the lenses, the notebook, and my dire circumstances. Percy nodded throughout my whole explanation, and his face remained curious but not disbelieving; like he wasn't surprised in what I was saying. It was oddly comforting despite the dread I felt telling my story.

After I finished my spiel, Percy faced the ocean like he was searching for how to respond.

I wasn't sure what to ask. "Did that…make sense."

"Yes," he turned towards me, smiling."My father told me about the weapon too."

It was my turn to be shocked. "But what about all that royal-blood stuff?"

He shrugged. "He's the king of the sea. Pretty royal if you ask me."

"Well, uh, if you're of royal blood then, are you gonna, you know…"

Percy snorted. "Nah. I don't care about your little tube of death. I kinda have more pressing issues than being super powerful."

My jaw hardened with his nonchalant tone. "I didn't fly three days from home, leave everyone that I love, have numerous flaming arrows narrowly miss us, and nearly drown for some 'tube of death.' Or to be powerful. My village is in danger because of some mad, dragon hunter, and a guy I thought we could trust. All because of that damn 'tube.' So maybe, it would be a little helpful, if you took this seriously."

I wasn't aware of how loud I raised my voice till I felt Toothless nudge me from behind; loud enough to wake him up apparently. His pupils were wide, and he crooned softly. Percy was looking down, obviously in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup. That's just how I cope with these kinda things." He stood up and sat next to me. "My home's in danger too —that's why I brought you here. I was hoping we could help each other out."

"Your village?"

"No, my camp."

The first thought that came to mind after 'my camp' was the annual future-chieftain camps my dad use to make me attend. They were on some random island every year, with much bigger, chief-like heirs. Being the social pariah that I was, the camp didn't end with any fond memories. Even after Dad stopped making me go, I still woke up in fear of Dagur drowning me in a river and calling it 'swimming lessons.'

"Your camp? Can't you just find another one? With less peril and more adult supervision?"

"It's not like that. Demigods aren't safe in the world. We attract monsters, demons, and a lot of other…things that want to kill us," he shuttered. "But at Camp Half-Blood, were protected. The land is guarded by magic. And a dragon."

That got my attention. "Dragon? Then why did you try to kill Toothless?"

"Look, I already apologized for that-"

"Just answer the question."

He sighed. "Toothless is unlike any dragon I've ever seen. His shape is sleek, and his scales are pitch black dark. At the river bank, he was licking your face like a dog…honestly, I thought he was some hybrid hell hound. Or even a chimera of some sort."

Toothless took offense to that statement, and after giving Percy his best 'dirty look,' he trotted down near the river bank; far enough to avoid listening to any more of this conversation.

"Listen," Percy said, "we're both fighting for the same things, Hiccup. You and Toothless are fighting for Berk and your people. Me and my friend are fighting for our camp and our people. We can help each other out. What do you say?"

Panic and desperation were evident in his eyes, and his tone was almost child-like pleading — I knew there was no way I'd deny him.

"Percy, we'll help you protect your camp, don't worry." He shoulders relaxed. "But how could you possibly help me?"

"Well, the lens in Athens is located somewhere in the center, right? I'm willing to bet it's in the Parthenon, and I know someone who could get us in."

"Who?"

"A friend; who was supposed to meet me here."

I nodded. "So you'll help me get it?"

"I'll do you one better: I know where another lens is. The next one on the map I'm willing to bet." My eyes widened as he grinned. "Just have to pay my Dad's place a visit."

—

The following day found me in the streets of Athens, dressed like a local.

After leaving Toothless in a nearby forest, much to his displeasure, we ventured into the city. I wasn's sure how Percy managed to procure these ridiculous clothing, but I didn't want to find out.

Seriously though, my outfit was ridiculous: a long, loose piece of fabric and one sandal. When I was a little boy, I use to wear an oversized tunic, that reached past my knees, to bed. Now history repeats itself, except it probably looked cute when I was a child and had both ankles. I felt exposed, but none of the locals were giving us any strange looks, so I guess that it was convincing.

The city itself was even more impressive on the ground. Buildings, taller than any in Berk, adorned the street and made the city look like miniature mountains. The ocean provided a blue backdrop to this already gorgeous portrait. The Athenians were hustling through the marketplace as we made our way through. Several exotic animals were lined up in cages and chains with hordes of people surrounding them.

"Are those elephants? And lions?" I asked. "I didn't think they were native here."

"They're not. Trappers bring them in from foreign lands, normally for profit and war."

My fists clenched. The citizens were animatedly raising their hands up and bidding for each one. Some laughed at the ones who tried to snarl or fight against the chains. Most of the animals looked miserable and afraid.

"What a bunch of yak-humpers," I growled.

Percy chuckled. "Not sure what that means, but it can't be good."

"Let's just say I'm not too fond of trappers."

He nodded. "The animals, they remind you of Toothless."

I stared at my new acquaintance. Sometimes, with his easy-going demeanor and troublemaking looks, it's easy to forget he was a demigod with incredible powers. But even if he wasn't one, just a mortal, something told me I still shouldn't underestimate him.

"You're more perceptive than you look, buddy."

"I get that a lot." He sighed. "And I get it. Athenians can be pretty pretentious and unconsidering."

"What about your friend?"

He smiled fondly to himself. "Some are pretty great."

We kept walking till we ended up at the giant statue of the goddess — Athena, according to Percy. Several Athenians were praying at the base, which stood upon a hill, high above the city; allowing us to see everything. The Parthenon was to the right of the goddess. We stood off to the side to wait for Percy's friend.

Some time passed, and I began to grow impatient.

"What's taking your boy so long?"

For some reason, his cheeks reddened. "Yeah, about that…"

A loud cry pierced the sky, interrupting Percy and sending the locals into a frenzy. We ran to a clearing to see what causing the commotion, and it didn't take long.

Giant tentacles, in the sea, were trashing wildly; causing a mini tsunami.

The tentacles were dark grey with an endless number of suckers. Each one had to be at least a fifty feet long; longer than the statue of Athena. They rose far from the port, but they were so long, they smashed all the idle ships in there. A few unlucky sailors, who were frozen in fear, ended up in the water. Hopefully, they knew how to swim.

But the scariest part? A giant mouth was at the center of the riot of tentacles, causing a whirlpool filled with teeth.

"Holy Hephaestus," Percy exclaimed. "I am a child of the Sea God, and I have no idea what that is!"

"Kraken."

"What?"

"It's a kraken." Honestly, I wasn't sure how I knew, but I was confident I was right. " I read about it in books back on Berk. Old sailors used to talk about it too."

"It's Norse? But how?"

The beast roared once again, breaking our stupor. "I don't know, but we should probably do something!"

We sprinted towards the port; which was proving to be a challenge in my man-dress. The Athenians were heading towards higher ground in the opposite direction. The appalled looks they were giving us would be hilarious if it weren't for the current circumstances.

By the time we reached the docks, which were a little too big to be called 'docks,' the kraken had done significant damage. Almost all of Athen's fleet was underwater. The soldiers who responded to the attack were currently retreating with the rest of the citizens — some with gruesome injuries. The sailors who were in the water…we weren't sure what happened to them.

Percy and I were the only live bodies in the vicinity.

"You have a plan, aqua boy?"

"It's your beast, dragon master."

Dragon Master. I needed Toothless, or at least some way to contact him. He'd give us a fighting chance. The spot we left him in was far, but he still had his automated tail.

"Is there a horn or something that I could use to signal to my dragon?"

"Nah. Not any nearby."

Well, there goes that plan. Time for another one, fast. What would Dad do?

He'd do something extremely viking-like. I looked around at what I had to work with. The Athenian soldiers, before they retreated, managed to set up some weapons up. Almost all were destroyed, but one contraption was still standing. Almost like a giant crossbow, the weapon was oddly similar to the one I invented to slay a certain night fury.

"Okay, new plan." I faced Percy. "Are you pretty in sync with the ocean?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Well, I need you to lift that thing's head out of the water."

He turned towards the water and pulled out a hilt. He pressed a button on the side, that I almost didn't notice, and the unorthodox blade I saw when I first met him popped out.

"I need to make one of those," I muttered.

He smirked. "It was a gift. Now, what's the plan?"

I walked over to the weapon. "Give this a shot."

"You'll need more than just a ballista to kill this thing." Nevertheless, he pointed his sword towards the sea and commanded it to rise. Amazingly, it obliged, and the waves began to rock.

"I'm gonna give it a little Hiccup flair," I said.

Manning the ballista, I aimed the spear above the whirlpool. When I was younger, to prove a point, I used a metal spear to get struck by lightning. The metal proved to be highly conductive, and I was promptly electrocuted. This time, I was going to turn the tables.

"Hiccup get ready."

I figured that something that big would need a little more juice than thirteen years old me received. So using my little party trick, I channeled all my power through the spear, making it glow blue. Just in time, too. Percy managed to use the tides to lift the beast's head out of the water — it definitely was a kraken. The mouth was wide enough to swallow a few of the temples, and its teeth gyrated like a whispering death.

"Launch," Percy yelled.

I pulled the trigger and the projectile zoomed through the air like a lightning bolt. The shock seemed to give it extra speed, and it flew directly into the kraken's mouth. Wailing in pain, the kraken choked on the spear and its body was shaking from the electrical currents coursing through it.

My plan looked like it worked, but I was too busy fainting from exhaustion to see it to fruition.

The last thing I remember seeing was the kraken's body falling back into the sea and Percy running towards me, yelling my name.

—

Blacking out was becoming an unhealthy habit.

I opened my eyes slowly, and I could feel my body ache badly — again, another habit I needed to break. I didn't remember Percy's tent being this surprisingly soft.

"Aroooooo," Toothless's unmistakable croon filled my ear.

Okay, his tent definitely couldn't fit a dragon.

My body shot up from what I now knew was a bed, and I was met by two pairs of eyes belonging to humans. One pair belonged to Percy, who was sitting in a chair and looking very concerned for my well being. The other pair…not so much.

The girl currently occupying the other chair had blonde, curly hair with a…crown sitting upon it? Her eyes were a haunting shade of grey and were currently boring into my soul. I was hesitant to think this, but she was almost a scarier version of Astrid.

"Good," she said to Percy. Her voice was equally intimidating. "Your dragon friend is up."

She turned her glare back to me. "You. I have some questions, and you better answer truthfully. Unless you want to end up like that beast from earlier."

I looked at Percy, and he shrugged apologetically. "Hiccup, this is my the person I mentioned…"

"You mentioned me to the stranger?"

"Her name," Percy interrupted, "is Annabeth: the king's ward… and my very annoying friend."


	8. A Side Quest for my Main Quest

"We don't even know who he is-"

"He's Hiccup! From the stories," responded Percy. That made me cringe.

"Hiccup?" Annabeth asked incredulously. "Is that a name or an insult?"

That made me cringe even more. I thought I heard Toothless laugh a little beside me, but if he did, he covered it up really well.

"We can't trust-"

"He's my friend-"

"You've known him for how long-"

"He saved Athens from a kraken-"

"How do you know he didn't bring it?"

"Hiccup rides a dragon, not a sea monster!"

Annabeth, despite my presence, was being extremely rude. But I didn't feel like defending myself just yet. My body was sinking into the softness of this bed like I was the kraken we just slayed…I wasn't sure how long ago. For such an all-powerful weapon, No-Name was really taxing on my body. Perhaps I should practice controlling my stamina on this smart-mouth, blondie…

Nah. She obviously means a lot to Percy. And I'd have to leave this bed, which is the last thing I wanted to do.

The couple kept arguing and arguing; Percy meeting each of her statements with his own. His wit and sarcasm defended me against her logic and reason — Percy was really starting to grow on me. Admittingly, the way they talked to each other seemed really natural, and I was beginning to think they were more of an old married couple rather than just friends.

Annabeth, frustrated with Percy's stubbornness, threw her hands up and turned away. He seemed to be at a lost for words, so I decided to spare him.

"Hey Percy," I startled him like he forgot I was there. "Can we talk?"

"Yeah man. Let me just deal with my…uh-"

"Your girlfriend? Alright."

Percy's face lit up like dragon fire and his mouth flopped open like a fish. Annabeth, who was apparently listening in to our conversation, quickly turned on her heal to face me in mortification.

"We're just friends!" They screamed in unison, almost like they've rehearsed it. I had to hold back my grin. As much as I liked Percy, I couldn't help teasing him.

"Oh? You guys normally argue like this?"

Before he could he respond, Annabeth shoved him out of the way and stomped over to me. I sat up out of the bed to face her wrath. My body ached in protest, and foresight would probably say it was a terrible idea considering she's the king's ward, but I really wanted to rile her up some more.

"What would you know about it _Hiccup_? What kind of name even is that?

"It's to scare trolls away."

Her eyebrow twitched. "Trolls?"

"Yep. Vikings get terrible names to scare trolls away," I shrugged. "My parents almost went with Annabeth, but they deferred to a less revolting title."

"ARGGGGG!" Annabeth jumped. Literally. Before she could strangle me, Percy caught her and shielded me from her rage. I felt a little bad because the she-beast landed a few hits to Percy's shoulder, but he took it like a champ.

He carried his friend out of the room; most likely trying to simmer down her rage. I couldn't hear their conversation clearly, but I did hear raised voices and even a couple of loud crashes. After a few minutes, Percy limped back into the room with a tray of food and a couple of mugs. He shot me a glare.

"Thanks for that Hiccup. Really, thanks."

"Sorry," I responded. Examining him, I felt a tiny amount of guilt. "Did she hurt you?"

"Yeah, but she held back. I'm her best friend."

"No offense, but was she your only option? Because she's not exactly friendly."

He sighed. "You don't know her, what she's been through. Annabeth's tough, loyal, and under her…rough exterior is kindness. She's the best person I know."

The finality in Percy's tone rendered any remark I had against his statement futile. But I still couldn't help teasing him.

"Hmm. She is kind of hot, and she does have a dragonesque figure."

He threw a pillow at me half-heartedly. "You're the worst."

I flopped back into bed. Toothless leaned over me and dropped his head on my chest. I scratched his snout causing him to croon. Percy sat on a bedside chair and began to fill me in on the details I missed. We ate Greek food, which wasn't half bad.

True to Percy's previous remarks, we saved the city from total destruction. No citizens died, even the unexpecting sailors on the ship. The Athenians lost most of their fleet, however, and the chances of them having fish for dinner in the next few days are slim.

"How did you get Toothless in the city?" I asked.

"Funny story actually: Toothless saved king Theseus."

I spit the water I was drinking out. Percy, with his oh-so convenient water powers, drew it back into the mug.

"Excuse me? Toothless saved the king?"

"Trust me, I had a hard time believing it too," Percy remarked while petting Toothless's nub. "But apparently the King was cliffside during the attack. The shaking caused him and a few other people to fall off."

"Toothless caught them?"

Percy nodded. "I guess he heard the beast and came looking for you."

Leave it to Toothless to try to save me from monstrous nightmares and krakens.

Percy kept going. "It was a rough landing considering one of the rescuees broke their arm, but he did it. I thought he couldn't fly without you?"

"He normally can't, but I made a specialized tail that allows him to solo fly," I said. "But it was damaged, last time I checked…"

"Like I said — rough landing. Toothless, somehow, glided down to the docks with three men in his claws, and just in time too. We slayed the kraken, and none of them saw…us do it. They think we killed it with just the ballista."

"Okay, good. It'd probably be bad if they saw our powers."

Percy rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah about that…it would be bad for you, but very bad for me." At my questioning look, he continued. "So Athena and Poseidon have never been on really good terms-"

"I read about that."

"So you understand how this wouldn't look good, right?" I nodded and Percy continued. "Well, this is the third attack in three weeks."

My face froze in shock. "They've been attacked by a kraken three times?"

"No. The first two times other monsters came. Not sure what they were, but definitely not krakens. They came from the sea and were black like Toothless."

I connected the dots. "And since the city is for Athena, she sees it as a threat."

He winced. "Yeah. And the Athenian's wouldn't take too kindly to a child of Poseidon in their vicinity. Only Annabeth and the king know about my father."

"Theseus?"

"Yeah. It's kind of complicated, but he's also partly a child of Poseidon too."

I sat back and groaned — I was starting to get a headache. "Greeks are complicated."

"Maybe you should get some rest." He got up to leave. "We'll talk about it more tomorrow. It's kind of a lot to take in. Annabeth and I have been working on a solution since it started."

Putting my head down, I closed my eyes. Toothless settled next to the bed. "Are you going to sacrifice her to the monster?"

"You might want to be nicer next time you see her."

"Why is that? Will the king be mad?"

Percy snorted and opened the chamber's door to leave. "I wouldn't be worried about him." Before he closed it, he gave me an amused smirk. "Her mom is way more terrifying. The Athenians love her though."

"Oh?" I had a tingling feeling of where this was going.

"Yup. They even made a giant statue of her right outside."

Percy left us to sleep. In contrast to Toothless, who was already snoring, I felt like I wouldn't be going under any time soon. The bed wasn't so comfortable anymore.

—

Athen's forge was much larger than the Gobber's back on Berk. Despite the intense heat from the sun outside and the hearth nearby, the smithy was well ventilated with many open windows. From the tables to the tools, the wealth of the city was evident. Still, it wasn't my forge, I thought fondly.

The local blacksmith was kind enough to let me use his smithy to repair Toothless's tail as thanks for yesterday's event. Luckily, or maybe unluckily, the whole city was really appreciative of us. While I love getting free food, paintings, and forge use…the local brothel's idea of thanking us wasn't very appropriate —at least to me. Percy was receptive to it, but Annabeth must've given him another 'talk' because he had a rather quick change of heart. In the end, the only form of thanks the ladies gave was belly rubs for Toothless.

Speaking of ladies, apparently, I was not totally hideous in a toga. Waking up, I was greeted by a fan club of ladies outside of the house. I'd never signed that many autographs…ever. On Berk, I was never the paradigm of viking power, and despite Gobber and my Dad's teasing, it was hard to believe that I was handsome. But there was a group of impressed and impressionable teenage girls, referring to me as the 'cute, dragon guy.' It's hard not to get gassed up.

After finishing the tail, I thanked the blacksmith and made my way out to the city. Percy asked me to meet him, and presumably Annabeth, at a local tavern in the outskirts of town. Thanks to this incredibly detailed map I got from the markets, I knew the way to go. But since I was now a local celebrity, flying there would probably be acceptable.

It was late in the afternoon, and most of the Athenians seemed to be elsewhere. Wanting not to draw any more attention to myself, I whistled for Toothless, and in just a few seconds, a black blur dropped behind me.

"Enjoying exploring the city, bud?"

Toothless chirped in happiness. Knowing him, he probably had a few extra meals today.

"Well, how 'bout we fly around for a little?"

I hopped on Toothless and we took off — just in time too. As we circled around the temple, citizens looked up in awe and excitement. We did a few tricks and drops, and families whooped and cheered for us. A group of ladies cat whistled and yelled some flattering compliments that made me blush and Toothless stick his tongue out in joy.

Although impressing people with our aerial abilities is always cool, I couldn't help but wish the gang were here, especially Astrid. The city was a spectacle, and their sunset was a beautiful light pink…she'd definitely love it.

I promised myself that once everything was done with this No-Name ordeal, I'd tell Astrid how much she means to me, and I'd take her and the gang on a vacation.

After a few minutes more of flying, we landed in front of the tavern. We walked in and saw that it was mostly vacant except for a few kitchen workers. At the bar was a curly, blonde head that was becoming familiar. Toothless, before I could stop him, galloped his way over to her, knocking a few tables over.

Annabeth turned around to face the commotion, and to my utter surprise, she smiled.

"Hi Toothless," she gave his head some scratches. When she saw me, her face became less affectionate. "Hiccup Haddock."

I nodded in greeting. "Didn't know you guys were acquainted."

"We met yesterday," she kept her eyes on him. "He saved my Dad."

Sitting next to her at the bar, I made a quiet signal to Toothless to give us some space. "Your Dad was one of the guys who fell?"

"Yes. I owe a lot to the dragon." She eyed me. "And since your his master, I decided to spare you."

"Gee, thanks. I'm normally dubious of guys who save the people I love too."

She huffed. "You know, I'm starting to think that you and Percy were long, lost brothers. You guys have an uncanny ability to make me go insane."

"Well-"

"How would you feel if your home was attacked every week-

"That's literally how Toothless and I met," I interrupted.

"Stop talking!" She took a few calming breaths. "How would you feel if your home was attacked by sea monsters for weeks, all while knowing your best friend was the son of the sea god, all while knowing how much hate your godly mother has for his godly father, all while knowing our camp is in trouble-"

"Okay! Okay!" I put my palms up to placate her. "I get it. You're under extreme pressure to protect your friends and your home. I'm only trying to do the same."

I told her about my mission with No-Name and how much trouble Berk is in if the lenses fall into our enemies hands. Like Percy, she already knew about the power it came with and didn't care much for it.

"That much power, and it's like yak dung to you guys," I shook my head.

"Well, power always leads to chaos, which demigods get enough of."

"I can tell," I muttered. "Two days with Percy and I've already 'almost died' at least five times."

We weren't looking at each other, but out of the corner of my eye, I swore her mouth formed a reluctant smile. The bartender set a mug of strange mead down in front of me, and we drank in silence for a few minutes. Toothless was in the corner of the tavern, eating fish and enamoring the kitchen workers.

"So," Annabeth began, "I'm assuming you need the lens from the Parthenon."

"That would be ideal, yes."

"Then let's bargain." She turned to face me with her steely grey eyes. For once though, they didn't look like they wanted to end me. "You help me and Percy on our mission, and I'll give you Athena's optic. I'm not quite ready to trust you, but I am desperate." She stuck out her hand, "is that a deal?"

We clasp forearms and shook.

"So what exactly are you guys planning?"

Percy, ever so punctual, busted through the doors. He wedged himself between Annabeth and I and put his arms around us. Toothless wandered over and demanded physical affection from him as well.

"Well if it isn't my favorite demigod and my favorite viking, together at a bar! Small world."

With how enthusiastic he was acting, you'd think Percy started drinking early, but I couldn't smell anything off his breath. For someone who appeared dark and brooding, he really had a bubbly personality. I looked over at Annabeth and found her staring at Percy so fondly like she couldn't believe she was best friends with this guy. I couldn't help but smile either.

I added another goal: get these two demidorks together during this quest.

"So wise girl-"

"Don't call me that."

"- did you tell Hiccup about the plan?"

"Was just about to, seaweed brain." She pulled out a map and set it on the countertop. "Hiccup, have you ever been to the Aegean sea?"

"Can't say I have."

"Well, you're in luck." Annabeth sounded upbeat, even giddy. I read some books at the local library to familiarize on Greek gods. Athena was the god of wisdom, which I knew, but also the god of military planning.

So, of course, this would be what makes this girl happy.

"There's a hole in the middle of it. A great hole with a giant waterfall. We've sent scouts to check it out and…some of them don't make it back." There was an awkward pause before she continued, "but the ones that do report strange creatures coming out of the center."

"Huh," I scratched my chin, "my Dad use to tell me a tale about a great waterfall at the edge of the Earth. It's supposedly where all of the dragons come from."

"Trust me," Percy said. "The things coming out were definitely not dragons. At least not your type."

"What? Monsters? Creatures aren't naturally…evil?"

Percy looked pointedly at the counter, and Annabeth stared at me tensely.

"_Creatures_ are a little different around here, Hiccup."

I thought about the Red Death, which was probably the closest thing to unholy I'd ever encounter. Sure, before the battle, dragons stole and killed livestock, but they were just trying to appease a master. The actual master? Well, she was a giant parasite. I'd often ask myself whether or not we could've resolved the conflict between dragons and vikings without killing the queen. I still haven't thought of another solution.

"Fine. Let's assume they're evil. What are you guys gonna do about it?"

"Percy is going to sail us near the hole." She looked at me with a wicked grin. "And with you and Toothless, we're gonna seal it."


	9. Annabeth Goes for a Spin

It had been a few hours since we left Athens. The beautiful white pillars of the temples slowly faded away as Toothless and I, along with our new friends, sailed towards our pending demise.

The boat we commandeered was the most impressive vessel I'd ever seen. It was at least thirty feet long, with a giant white sail adorning an Athenian symbol. The bottom had multiple rooms for us to sleep in and store our stuff. It was like a viking longship, but immensely cooler. According to the king, it was called the Argo, and it use to belong to some Jason guy. The significance of it didn't really hit me, but if Percy and Annabeth's flabbergasted reaction was any indication, the ship was a big deal.

The sides were equipped with ten, long paddles each to be manned, but we didn't even need them. Percy, being the son of Poseidon, commanded the waves to his will. He even knew our exact nautical location without even using the map. I've met some impressive sailors, but this guy really took to a different level.

About halfway through the day, Toothless started to get a little antsy; he was not a big fan of sailing. Deciding to take pity on him, I set up his saddle to take flight. Percy was busy commanding the ship, and Annabeth had ignored me since we left, so flying sounded joyful right about now. Right before I could lock my foot in, a strong hand gripped my arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" Annabeth asked suspiciously.

"Taking Toothless for a flight. He gets clumsy without any flying time." I sighed with impatience. "Dragons need to fly, you do know that, right?"

Her eyes twitched but she didn't take the bait. "How do we know you won't just fly away?"

Percy, who could hear us all the way from the stern, laughed out loud. "Annabeth, if Hiccup wanted to leave, he would've been gone by now. Trust him!"

"Listen to your boyfriend," I teased.

"I already told you," she yelled to Percy, her eyes still firmly on me, "until we fix this problem, we can't take any chances."

Exasperated, I threw my hands up in the air. "C'mon. You're really gonna deny this majestic beast of the sky his domain?"

Toothless, right on cue, put on his best innocent face. With wide pupils and soft, cat-like purrs, no viking had ever been able to resist, and neither could Annabeth.

"Fine!" Just as I was about to take off, she stopped me again. "I'm coming with you."

"Yeah, Wise Girl!" Percy whooped.

I grumbled in discontent but gestured to Toothless to lower his body. If letting her tag along would gain me her trust, so be it.

Annabeth cautiously got on behind me. Her eyebrows were low and she put her hands gently on my waist for balance. I could feel her how stiff she was, and I realized she was actually nervous.

"Okay," she huffed. "Let's get this over."

My brain froze in deja vu. This was almost exactly the same situation Astrid, who also didn't trust me at the time, was in. I smiled — I knew what to do.

"Okay Toothless, up. Gently."

Toothless understood.

With all the power a Night Fury could muster, we blasted off the deck. The ship rocked with our departure, and I swore I could've heard Percy laugh before we were out of range.

Annabeth on the other hand was not so amused.

She had all her limbs wrapped around my torso, screaming out her lungs as we rocketed towards the sun. This was a great idea. With a soft kick to Toothless's side, I signaled for the next part of our act.

"Toothless," I spoke in false confusion, "what are you doing?"

Right of cue, he spread his wings and we leveled out. I pried Annabeth's arms and legs off of me so I could face her.

"Sorry. He's not normally like this."

Toothless tilted to his side, and we began to free fall back towards the sea. Annabeth quickly resumed cocooning me with her body, and bleeping like a sheep during a dragon race. I hid my face so she wouldn't see how happy I was.

"Toothless," I said as we repeatedly hit the water like a pebble on a lake, "we need her to trust us."

He kept at it till we were utterly drenched. Toothless once again zoomed towards the clouds and began to rotate like a twister.

"And now the spinning. Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile."

Annabeth pulled her arms around my shoulders, and buried her face in my neck. "I'm sorry! Okay, I'm sorry! Please stop."

She sounded like she was on the verge of crying. I genuinely felt bad…if only for a little. I signaled to Toothless to ease up, and he obliged.

Toothless hovered a few hundred feet above the Argo. We flew in silence for a few minutes, Annabeth trying to catch her breath. I heard her sniffle a few times, and started to feel some guilt seep in. Before I could say anything, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup," she said softly. "I'm sorry for how I treated you back in Athens."

I turned to face her. "We're a team now… at least for the time being. We're going to have to trust each other if were going to make this work."

"I know all that. It's just…there's a lot riding on this mission. We could be stopping a war between demigods and humans alike-"

"Not to mention, vikings," I interrupted.

"Right. Maybe I'm just feeling a little angsty, and have been taking it out on you."

She went silent, and I gave her room to think as she gazed down at our boat. After a minutes, she continued. "A lot of things have just been going wrong lately, and I don't want anything to happen to Percy." Her voice was soft, and as if she realized her words, she looked up. "And our people of course."

I stuck my arm out. "Partners?"

Annabeth clasped hers to mine. "Partners."

We kept flying, Toothless enjoying all the air time. After Annabeth got comfortable, she gave me the okay to do some tricks. We performed a few loops, and did some laps in the clouds. Annabeth even got daring, and we did a few more free falls.

After almost an hour, we leveled out. Annabeth was crying, but this time in exuberance.

"I can see how you vikings get addicted to this." She reached down to rub Toothless's head. "He's amazing."

Toothless purred in response. "He sure is."

"I mean, I thought exploring the ocean floor, in an air bubble, with Percy was pretty exhilarating. But this blows it out of the water. No pun intended."

I laughed. Then I remember my side mission. "So you and Percy are pretty close, right?"

She tried to hide her blush. "Best friends, like I said before-"

"Just that?"

Annabeth sighed. "Alright, genius. Maybe we're a little more than that. How long did it take you to figure that out?"

"Honestly? The first ten minutes I saw you guys together. When I was in bed, and you were insulting my name."

She snorted. "I already apologized-"

"And I accepted it. I was just saying." I turned to look her in the eye."Why don't you do anything about it?"

"Honestly?" she asked. "It's always been me initiating things. That's how our relationship has always been. But this time, maybe… he could take the lead."

She huffed a quick laugh, like she couldn't believe she was saying all this. "I know that sounds crazy considering how headstrong and commanding I am. I don't wait for anyone; I'm a child of Athena for Hades's sake!" She sighed. "It would just feel good if Percy admitted how he felt. I think I made my feelings pretty clear at this point. And hearing him say it would make all this pining worth it…especially if it was mutual."

I stared at her, my mind going to Astrid. Is this what she was waiting for? Me making the first move? Well, actually, she's kissed me a few times already, so this wouldn't be the first move…but we were young, so I wasn't sure if that even counted…

"Uhh, Earth to Hiccup," Annabeth waved a hand in front of my face. "You okay there? You blanked out on me for a second."

"Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Taking your advice." Her eyebrows rose in question. "I also have a best friend who's also not really my friend…"

"Ooooh. Hiccup's got a lady." She said in a teasing voice. "Does she have a weird name, too?"

I snorted. "Astrid."

"Astrid? If my old Norse is correct, doesn't that mean divine beauty?"

"It does. The name suits her too" I said softly. "Funny enough, she's a lot like you: blonde, aggressive, head strong, really suspicious of strangers, and very scary when she wants to be." That caused Annabeth to bust out in laughter. "But she's also the most loyal, amazing person you'll ever befriend."

"I'd like to meet her one day," she said. "And it seems like we also have another thing in common: were both waiting for some dumb guy to make up his mind."

"Looks like it."

We shared a smile, but Annabeth glanced behind me, and hers promptly melted away. I turned around and saw what caused it to do so.

"Uhh… does it normally get that foggy around here?" I asked.

"No, it doesn't. We need to land."

A few minutes later, we joined a distressed Percy at the helm of the ship. The fog was giving him problems. It seemed eerily similar to the fog separating the archipelago to the rest of the world. We anchored the Argo right in front of it, as the three of us stared at what lies ahead.

"It's not a natural fog. It's disrupting my connection with water. I can't get a read on the sea!"

If any other sailor said that, I would've laughed. But Percy is the son of Poseidon, and if the fog was making him nervous while sailing, then I was definitely in the same boat. Pun intended.

"The sailors reported some fog, but this is crazy," Annabeth murmured.

"Maybe we could just wait it out?" I suggested.

"I'm not sure this is going to clear up anytime soon," Percy said. "Plus, it wouldn't be a good idea to sit around here, we're pretty close to…them."

At the mention of them Percy shuddered and, surprisingly, so did Annabeth.

"Who's them?" I asked.

"Spartans." Percy said with disdain. "Don't want to tangle with these guys."

It was I who shuddered this time. Even on Berk we heard about Spartans. They were apparently a lot like Dagur and his Berserkers, minus the craziness, and combined with brilliant war tactics and strategy. I'd fight one hundred Berserkers, on Outcast island, before I ever met these guys.

"Okay here's the plan," Annabeth said confidently. "Let's go around, away from Sparta." She turned to me. "Hiccup, I know Toothless just flew, but do you think you guys could scout ahead for a way through the fog?"

I nodded. "Good. I trust you won't fly away?" she asked, grinning.

My lips twitched. "You got it, captain."

In a few minutes, Toothless and I were zooming along the fog's edge. The Argo was following, but eventually we lost sight of it as we kept looking.

After what felt like forever, we finally spotted a narrow clearing. I wasn't so sure how long it would stay open, but Percy was a fast sailor.

"C'mon Bud. Let's go tell the gang."

Toothless roared in anticipation of one last challenge. With a quick flip, we turned back towards the ship. Despite all the flying we'd already done today, it seemed that he still had a lot left in the tank.

Finally, we arrived back to the Argo. Toothless must've ventured further than we thought, because it took us a good while to get back.

"Percy? Annabeth?"

Silence. Something was wrong.

Running up to the helm, I was greeted by…no one. The Argo was empty. Maybe Annabeth decided to leave me? But that wouldn't make any sense; this was her ship.

I looked around and my face froze when I saw it: an arrow imbedded in the floor of the Argo. I rushed over to examine it. The end was sharp to the point and, to my horror, covered in blood.


	10. Dragon Boy, Literally

Author's Note: (Chance the Rapper voice): And we BACK! To anyone still reading, thank you. I'm planning to finish this story to the end. And hopefullly I'll update faster. UwU

I took several deep, long breaths in order to calm myself down and avoid panicking. They weren't really helping like my Dad said they would.

Toothless and I were stuck, in the middle of foreign waters, without our team. Not to mention, considering the blood on this arrow, there was a good chance one of them was seriously injured. Crazy to that think just a few hours ago, I would've not minded it being Annabeth. Now I was losing my mind over the possibility that either her or Percy could be hurt.

I put my hands on the sides of my head and shut my eyes. "Think, Hiccup. Think."

Obviously they had to be kidnapped. The bloodied arrow was a dead give away. But there was no indication on where their captors took them. The sea surrounding the Argo was calm, and there was no seafoam trail indicating where an opposing ship could've gone.

Annabeth and Percy mentioned us being close to enemy territory, but could they have been captured by Spartans? If so, they managed to subdue two demigods, one being a child of Poseidon, in the middle of the sea, without leaving any indication of where they went. All under an hour as well.

I've heard about how lethal Spartans were, but this was unfathomable.

To make matters worse, the map was with Annabeth. Ironically, she kept them in her possession in case I decided to betray the two of them. Now I needed it to rescue them. If only I had some way to locate them…

Oh my Thor. I have superpowers.

I'd only used the powers of the Loki lens a few times to communicate with Thuggory and Camicazi. Normally I did it while I slept because it was easier and doing it helped combat the nightmares I was having. Each time I tried, I could see their face and body and some of their surroundings. I could talk to them, but they weren't able to see me, which spooked Camicazi especially. Neither her or Thuggory could replicate my abilities. Apparently, I was pretty adept with the lens powers.

It only worked when both of us were in sync though. Not sure how effective it would be when one of us was in peril. Or dead.

I shuddered at the thought. Pulling No-Name out of my satchel, I sat cross-legged on the helm.

"Well, let's hope this works," I said to Toothless.

He grumbled doubtfully.

I close my eyes and focused on communicating with Annabeth. Despite me being better friends with Percy, I've honestly spent more time around the Athenian. Dagur's notebook on No-Name had instructions on utilizing its powers, but most of it I couldn't understand yet due to language, or it was just plain cryptic. But I normally thought of their appearance when I needed to talk to someone. I visualized her blonde and curly hair, her stern and stubborn voice, and her steely, grey eyes that were normally fixed in a glare.

In a few seconds, I could see a battered Annabeth in a tiny cell. Her eyes were closed in an almost peaceful way, and there were a few cuts on her cheek. She was on knees in the middle of the cell and each of her arms was chained to opposite walls. There was no sign of Percy anywhere.

"Annabeth," I called out to her softly.

Her head jerked up, and she looked around slowly.

"Who's there?" she yelled.

"Keep it down," I hissed. "It's Hiccup."

"Hiccup? But how-where are you-"

"No-Name."

"Oh right, I forgot about that. Where are you really?"

"Back on the ship, right where you guys left it. The real question is where are you and Percy?"

She took a ragged breath. "Spartans. They snuck up on us, Hiccup. They were stalking us for a while. I'm not sure where they took Percy."

Her voice was pretty shaken, but I didn't say anything about it. According to Percy, this girl was absolutely ferocious in combat. To see her beaten and chained down spoke volumes on how dangerous the people I was dealing with were.

"Annabeth, I need to find you guys, but I don't have any map or way to track them."

She cursed quietly. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't sent you out-"

"Hey, none of that," I interrupted. "Let's just focus on getting you and Percy out of there."

Annabeth nodded her head in agreement. I continued. "First off, how did they capture you guys?"

"They knocked him out with that arrow. It had to be laced with some poison or something, but it wasn't fatal." She stifled a sob and I could feel her fear. "They overwhelmed me, and well… here we are."

"Okay, but how did they jump you guys? By ship?"

"No…they came by air."

Shock ran through my body. My eyes would've bulged out of my head if they weren't closed in concentration.

"They rode dragons?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm not sure they were dragons, but they were riding them. I think they were waiting for you and Toothless to separate from the group before attacking."

"Okay," I said slowly. I had trouble wrapping my head around that Spartans could rode dragon-like creatures. Great, like they weren't already terrifying. "How can I find you guys?"

"Go-" rumbling behind Annabeth interrupted her thought.

"Someone's coming. Quick, find Percy and I. For the sake of Athens. And Berk."

"But how-"

"Use No-Name, Dragon Boy. And grab my bag," she said hastily. I heard the door to her cell open right before our connection was severed. Thors dammit.

I tried Percy next, but I couldn't get a feel on him. Hopefully he was only temporarily incapacitated. Frustrated and worried, I rested my head on the floor. Why wouldn't Annabeth just tell me where to go? Or at least give some form of direction?

I thought about her mom, Athena. She was an expert on strategy and planning, and by extension, so was Annabeth. More importantly, she was deliberate. Either they didn't let her see her surroundings, or she wasn't on Sparta and had no idea where she was. That wouldn't surprise me, even Berkians were cautious with our prisoners…for the most part.

But her choice of words? 'Use No-Name.' Well, how? I'd already tried talking to her and Percy, and the first lens probably wouldn't do me any good just yet. The weirdest thing of all, despite the limited amount of time, she still managed to call me dragon boy.

Either she was always going to find time to tease me or that was on purpose. I opened my eyes and glanced at Toothless. He was looming over with big, concerned eyes. I wasn't sure if the lens could work on dragons, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

I got on my knees and turned away from Toothless. He crooned worriedly.

"Just trying something, Bud."

Closing my eyes, I focused on physical aspects of Toothless: his jet black scales, his warm back, his huge and gross tongue that had a bad habit of finding my face. In a matter of seconds, I could see Toothless and part of the ship.

"Hey, Toothless," I said in my mind.

He jumped up like a scared cat when he heard my voice in his head. I knew I was smiling, but something peculiar was going on. Every fiber in my body felt different. When I did this to Thuggory or Camicazi, I could always feel some of their emotions and thoughts, but this wasn't the same. My senses were dialed to ten, and I had the sudden urge to eat a pile of fish. My muscles felt stronger and my core like a hearth. I felt like…a dragon.

I opened my eyes and turned around to face Toothless, who was looking at me like I just drank a gallon of yaknog. The feeling didn't go away, and I was starting to get a sneaking suspicion of what I could do.

It was called the Loki Lens for a reason. Despite how cool it sounded, I don't think this is what Annabeth had in mind.

Instead, I honed in on my new dragon senses. I could smell scents I didn't know existed. I could feel the flies that zoomed past me, and I swore that I could feel the fish swimming below the boat.

I started prancing around and my legs felt stronger and more nimble. On a whim, I jumped up in the air. For a second there, I thought I was flying.

There was no way in Midgard that any person could reach that high. My landing was soft; almost bird-like. I looked at Toothless who was now watching me excitedly. It would seem that he could sense the change as well.

I really was a Dragon Boy.

"Hmmm. I guess we got to make a new class of dragons, Bud. The Hiccup class."

That earned a laugh from my scaly friend. I looked at the arrow on the ground. Maybe I could be in the tracker class if this stunt worked.

—

A few hours later, we approached an ominous island in the fading evening. Percy's scent led us here after following it for a couple of hours. Toothless flew in high and we hovered above the clouds, out of sight. The dark presence of the city was like a beacon of despair and provided a stark contrast to the beautiful sunset.

This was definitely Sparta.

"Yakdung. Could they be any scarier?" I asked Toothless. He grumbled in agreement.

Even from afar I could see guards lining the perimeter of the city; each armed to the teeth. I didn't see anybody flying though, which was a positive sign. Still, there was no way we could approach from the front. It was fine however, I wasn't ever a direct guy. I liked a little sneaky.

On the opposite side of the island was a stretch of forest. We headed over there, and after circling over it to ensure it was clear of any Spartans, we landed.

No lie, I felt a little déjà vu from our little Athens plan. There was another forest, and I was venturing into another unknown city without my dragon. This time though, I was trying to fetch a couple of Greeks. Toothless must've felt it too because he quickly voiced his displeasure in the plan.

"I'll be careful this time, promise!" I added while putting on my fake Greek outfit. Just for extra caution, I added a hood to hide my face. "We don't know how these guys feel about dragons. Or at least my dragon."

I patted Toothless's snout. "Plus, I happen to have these new powers, so I should be okay. And if I get into any trouble, I'll just call for you. Okay?"

I wasn't sure how reassuring that was to Toothless, but nonetheless, he obliged. Now that I could talk to him long range, it would be a lot easier. Well, as easy as sneaking into a heavily militarized city could be.

Before I left, I tried talking to Annabeth one more time. I was getting pretty good at doing this apparently, I didn't to go into full meditation mode this time.

Her face appeared once again in the same small holding cell. She was awake and looked angry, but not as downtrodden as last time. Fortunately, it seemed that she was alone.

I called her name softly and her head didn't jerk up this time. In fact, judging by the small smile the formed on her face, she'd been expecting me.

"Hiccup, you made it?"

"I believe so. Big, scary island? With a lot of big, scary guards?"

"Yep, that's the one," her expression was laced with pride. "You understood my message it would seem."

"I did. Gods, it felt weird. I used Toothless as a focal point and suddenly I wanted to eat a bunch of fish."

"Heroes have used different types of animals as sources of strengths: lions, bears, rams. Dragons are no different." She shrugged, "It's a powerful tool. Stronger men before you have tried to wield it. Honestly, I'm surprised you managed to make it work."

"Geez, thanks," I replied dryly.

"Kidding! Look, I'm really glad you came for us."

The sincerity in her voice made me pause for a second. "That's what a team does. So where are you guys? And how is Percy?"

"He's alive," she said. "It seems they're monitoring him more. Figures. He is the son of Poseidon. As for where we are, I'm not sure. Somewhere in the south of the city if I had to guess. It would be the safest point. Gah, I would've kept tabs on our direction if they hadn't blindfolded me. These guys aren't new to this. But I'm sure you could find us with your new…powers."

I nodded. Then I remember she couldn't see me. "Yeah, alright," I replied feeling embarrassed.

"Good. Our place in heavily guarded though. I know they're expecting you."

"I have a hood to hide my face."

"That won't be enough. Did you get my bag?"

I looked at her backpack that I recovered from below the deck. I hadn't skimmed through it yet, but I figured its contents were important considering Annabeth used her last words to tell me to bring it.

"Yes."

"Good. Inside there is a small sphere with a button. That's Greek fire."

My brows rose. "Greek fire? Isn't that suppose to be extremely dangerous."

"Yep," she responded nonchalantly. "Engaging it will cause a ten-second count down before detonation. Use it as a distraction."

I hummed with begrudging respect. She really was a master strategist.

"Oh. One more thing Hiccup. See my cap?"

I pulled out her weird looking headwear from the bag. It was cone-shaped, with a pointed top that was slightly bent forward. I didn't think Greek apparel could any worst than a toga, but this was close. Maybe I shouldn't judge though - vikings do wear helmets with horns on them.

"Is this a 'thank you' gift? Because I appreciate the gesture, but I'll pass."

She snorted. "It is a gift, but not for you. My mother gave it to me. When you put it on, it turns you invisible."

I take it back. This was way cooler than any horned helmet.

"Okay. That's awesome," I responded.

"Yup. Put it on, and plant the Greek fire somewhere to draw some of the guards away. Try to avoid fighting anyone though. Once you get to my chambers you can break me out, and together, we can find Percy and get the Hel out of here."

"Sounds like a plan. I guess I'll see you soon then?"

"See you soon, Hiccup Haddock."

With new found confidence, I shouldered her bag on my back and headed towards the city.


	11. Prison Break

I made my way up the hilly outskirts of Sparta, away from the forest. Annabeth's bag was secure on my back, and I was wearing her special hat that made her invisible. Supposedly, no one could see me, which was good because I had to look absolutely ridiculous right now.

After struggling up what looked to be the last big hill, I came to find a stretch of several crop fields separating me from the first few buildings of the city. Rows of cabbage and corn lined up the soil like Mildew's old farm back on Berk. To my misfortunate, a handful of farmers were also in the fields tending to the crops, but it looks like they didn't hear my footsteps.

Well, no better time to make sure I couldn't be seen — I'd rather fight some spooked farmers than a giant, angry Spartan guard.

I crept my way through one of the grass linings in between the rows of cabbage. An older, unsuspecting man was coming up on my left. He was humming some song as he tended to the cabbage, completely unaware of me tiptoeing towards him.

He didn't look very menacing, but perhaps he was harmed. It was funny to think that I could shoot lightning out of my hands and jump super high, but a measly farmer was putting me on edge.

I tiptoed in front of him, and I could feel all my muscles stiffen as I came to stop. He was still looking down with a relaxed look on his face. Moment of truth; I made a faint coughing noise to get his attention.

He glanced up and for a moment, I felt like a sheep who'd been cornered by a monstrous nightmare. His eyes were boring into mine, and I swore he was looking right at me, but after a moment he returned his attention back to his corn, humming the same tune.

The ugly hat was functional.

I gradually continued on through the crop field. Honestly, I was a little envious of Annabeth right now. This piece of headwear would've have made sneaking out of my house so much easier all those years. I inwardly groaned at all the trouble I could've avoided had I'd been invisible.

Thinking about headwear reminded me of the time my Dad also gifted me with my own: a classic, horned viking-helmet. It was a thoughtful gift, back when me and him couldn't speak two words to each other. The significance wasn't lost on me. Having one meant I truly was a viking. It was also sentimental considering it belonged to my mother. Of course, the helmet originated from her breastplate, which kind of made it gross, but it was still probably the most thoughtful thing my Dad had done for me to that point.

What happened after…well, everything went wrong. Hopefully, this hat would wield better results.

I zoned out of my thoughts as I reached the edge of the city.

A tall, open gate led way to another bustling community. I snuck past two buff and armed guards and ducked into an alleyway. The city was another spectacle. Admittedly, it wasn't as jaw-dropping as Athens, but it definitely had a distinct atmosphere to it.

The inside still had soldiers, albeit less than outside, but regular citizens roamed the streets. Unlike other places I've been, everyone one seemed determined and moved from place to place with purpose. Nobody was had slouch in their posture or hesitance in their step. Men and women made their way to their jobs with confidence in their stride. Even children were giddy as they ran. Judging by the weapons in their hands, they most likely were training to be like their Spartan ancestors. Safe to say the military lifestyle wasn't limited to soldiers.

I looked at the little sphere in Annabeth's bag — Greek fire. No doubt it would be a worthy distraction, but I didn't want anyone to get caught in the crossfire. Looking around, I saw a Spartan with a wagon filled with fish, making his way through the city.

Tuffnut pulled this mystifying, and absolutely disgusting prank a few years back. He bet me that he could clear out the great hall in under thirty seconds with a tuna fish and a little zippleback gas. I wasn't sure what compelled me to agree to his bet, but Tuffnut amazed me sometimes. Also, I think my Dad was off the island for some meeting; which was good for my sake. He pulled it off perfectly.

Sneaking past the unsuspecting Spartan to snag a fish, I set off towards the south of the city. Hopefully, I'd make Tuff proud.

After a few minutes of navigating the streets, I found a small building with a decent amount of guards watching over it. I set up shop at the corner of the marketplace across the street. With the Greek fire and fish in hand, I perched on top of a vendor's tent. A decent amount of people were out shopping, but I was still invisible to anyone.

Across the way was the prison Annabeth and Percy was being held — at least I assumed it was. There were two guards positioned at the entryway with another couple patrolling the perimeter. Up top, I could see two sets of snipers watching from elevated platforms above the prison.

The fish I grabbed must've been from a poor catch. It was already reeking a putrid smell, which was great considering what I had planned for it.

I summoned the sparks from hands and heated the fish. In just a few seconds, it began to char and the smell was unbearable. A few dry heaves made their way up my throat when the stench hit my nose. I dropped it into the tent under me.

It didn't take long for the unaware Spartans to notice the smell. Customers moved away in disgust until ultimately, everyone was a good distance from the tent. I had to cover my nose before I passed out.

Everyone left the vicinity except for one particular man. The vendor currently occupied in the tent must've had a stuffy nose… or no sense of smell at all. He was still in there looking rather confused why no one was interested in his assorted seashells.

I rolled my eyes wondering whether he was lucky he couldn't smell, or unlucky because of what I was going to have to do to him.

The elder Spartan was yelling some rude things at avoiding customers as I dropped down into the back of his tent. I used the hood as a face mask to shield me from the rotting fish, but it wasn't enough to block it out completely.

Quickly, I crept up right until I was behind him. I put my hands onto the small of his back and shocked the Spartan. He fainted into my arms, and I set him down to look around. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice.

"Sorry sir," I whispered while I dragged his body to a back alley, "I'm going to have to set your inventory on fire. But at least I got you out though, right?."

After setting him next to some discarded wagons, I slowly made my way back into his tent. The stench had gotten to the point where a bunch of flies were hovering over it. I pulled out the sphere of Greek fire. This really wasn't going to help with the odor.

I mentally went over the plan I made up while disposing of the vendor. First, I would set off the Greek fire, causing this tent to explode. This would draw the guards out from the ground. Then, during the commotion, I'd climb up to the snipers using my new powers and take them out. Finally, while most of the guards are distracted, I'll filtrate the prison and get my friends out.

Sounds easy enough.

It was go time. I pressed the button, tossed it into the tent, and made a mad dash towards the snipers on the opposite side of the market. Unsuspecting Spartans turned their heads in my direction, visibly confused at the sound of my footsteps. I didn't have time to be silent though.

Right as I got in position, the bomb exploded. For such a tiny sphere, the effects were outstanding. Dozens of Spartans cried out in panic, and quickly forgot the ghost they were hearing. My heart clenched at the thought of anyone getting injured. Hopefully, the fish did its job and kept customers at bay.

The guards patrolling the prison madly rushed the tent, and the fire drew the attention of the guards watching the entryway and the snipers. Perfect.

I leaped onto the platform, landing right between two quivers. Somehow, my landing must've been really smooth, or the fire was stealing all their sense of awareness because they didn't even turn around. Perfect once again.

The archers were yelling something to grounded guards as I crept behind them. With two perfectly aimed blows to their heads, I knocked them out cold. One of the bodies almost fell over the edge, but I managed to snag it and drag both of them against the building wall.

My attention then turned to the other elevated platform that hosted the other set of snipers. Both of the archers were monitoring the entryway and didn't even notice their fellow comrades.

The distance between us was significant, spanning over the prison and two alley ways. I wasn't sure how far I could leap, but as Gobber said, no better time to learn than while on the job.

I backed up till my back grazed the building wall and took a deep breath for courage. This wouldn't be the dumbest stunt I've ever pulled. Honestly, it's probably not the dumbest thing I've attempted in the past few weeks.

Energy coursed through my body as I sprinted to the edge of the platform. Right before hitting the edge I sprang up and took a giant leap of faith.

For a second there, it felt like I was flying. Air rushed past my face and ruffled my hair as my feet left the surface. The alleyway below me was slowly passing, and the prison was coming into view. I felt like I was going to make it.

Until I didn't.

In hindsight, the idea of leaping was stupid. Instead of landing right on the opposite platform, I crashed into a pile of rotten cabbages. Why were they conveniently placed there? Not sure. Maybe it was karma? Fortunately, they might've saved my bones.

Unfortunately, the snipers above me noticed the disturbed cabbage pile. They looked more confused than alerted, however.

On a whim, I picked up two of the foul cabbages. Their eyes bulged out of their heads comically at the sight of the floating vegetables. Before they could react, I chucked it as hard as I could at them. The lens must've improved my aim because I hit both of them in the face, effectively knocking them out. I stood there, a little awestruck. Mission accomplished… I think.

Getting over my daze, I crept around to the entryway. Gazing over to the market, I saw the perimeter guards were still occupied with the tent which was totally on fire. The normally calm Spartan citizens were in a frenzy, which was probably a good thing for me. The guards seemed torn on whether they should help their fellow soldiers or stay posted at the entryway. In their indecisiveness, I slid past them and through the door.

The inside eerily contrasted the open chaos of outside. I found myself in a hallway. It was dark, tight, and absolutely peaceful.

I took off my Annabeth's cap. If I ran into anyone in this confined space there'd be no avoiding a fight. Down the hallway was a door with some light emitting through the tiny window and faint noises coming from behind it.

Dread built in my stomach as I slowly crept towards it. Or maybe it was the smell of rotten cabbages still on my fingertips? Anyways, I'm pretty sure I was going to puke any second.

I stayed vigilant for any traps on the floors or walls, my time on the ship looking for No-Name still in the back of my mind. Time seemed to slow down once again, and it felt like my whole body was screaming _danger_!

The noise grew louder and louder as I got closer but if it was words, I couldn't make them out — even now as I stood in front of the door. I could feel the sweat on my palms and the hitch in my breath.

What was past this barrier? Annabeth? Percy? More guards? More cabbages? There was no telling. Nevertheless, my hand reached for it and pushed through.

Right in the middle of the room was Annabeth, chained and on her knees just like saw in my vision.

This time around, she was gagged, and her eyes were wide and wet with panic. I realized the faint noises were her hindered voice. When she saw me, her eyes got even wider and she let out a muffled scream.

Shouldn't she be relieved to see me? I only had a few seconds to wonder, as I stepped into the cell until it hit me. Literally, an arrow lodged itself in my thigh.

My limbs turned to jello as my body collapsed. I howled in anguish, but after a few seconds, I realized that no noises were coming out. The arrow was apparently poisoned, and it didn't stop there.

Eventually, my body stopped responding, and I was completely paralyzed. I could still sense everything like the coldness of the floor and Annabeth's sobs in the background, but I couldn't respond.

We stayed like that for a few minutes until the door opened once again. The guards from outside came in. Many of them seemed dinged up and one even had a giant cut on his forehead. They all growled when they saw me.

"Well, looks like the trap work," one of the Spartans sneered. "The last of the Athenian scum."

"This one seems different, no?" Another one asked. "Like the other boy?"

"Another demigod it would seem. Let's take him to the Kings."

And with that, they chained my arms and unceremoniously dragged me away from Annabeth.


	12. A Soft, Gentle Breeze

The guards dragged my incapacitated body around like Stormfly with a tree branch she retrieved during a game of fetch. We were on our way to the "kings" if I wasn't mistaken. Why Sparta had two rulers, I wasn't sure. All I knew was they probably wouldn't be too happy with all the destruction and cabbage lost I was responsible for.

Spartan citizens stared at me as they paraded me through the streets. Most of them looked really angry, while some looked genuinely curious. Annabeth's invisibility cap and bag were confiscated when I was caught so the people got a good look at my current pathetic state. Honestly, the soldiers might've been prolonging this journey just to humiliate me.

After what felt like an eternity, we arrived at the footsteps of an enormous temple. To my utter horror, the building had _a lot _of steps.

I found my voice just at we started to make the trek up.

"Hey guys, maybe you could pick me up-"

"Quiet, Athenian," the soldier barked.

"Well, I'm actually Berkian-"

He didn't wait for me to finish my comment before dragging me up the flight of stairs.

"Ow. Ow. Ow! Ow-oh my Thor. Owwww!"

It might've been my imagination, but I swear they looked amused.

Finally, after a billion face-breaking steps, we made it to the top. I was hauled into the corridor and dropped onto my knees. The first thing I noticed was the group of older men surrounding me. They were wearing elegant robes with golden lining, and the top of their heads had some weird plant thing. All of them were seated on elevated chairs; their eyes boring into me. My attention, however, was drawn to the center of the pulpit.

Two men were seated side by side on separate thrones. Both of them were dressed in even fancier robes than the other Spartans around them. Each had a golden crown adorning their heads — the two kings.

The one on the left was burly and huge, almost more than my father. He had blonde hair, a modest beard, and seemed to be very regal despite how young he looked. His presence was imposing, commanding respect without doing anything. He stared me down with an impressive scowl as he sat upon his throne.

His counterpart was almost the polar opposite. Despite wearing the exact same outfit, he didn't fill up his throne like the other guy — literally. He wasn't as big or muscle-bound. In fact, it was safe to say he was a _hiccup_ compared to everyone else in the room. His hazel hair was cut in a peculiar way I've seen some vikings have in which the middle rose slightly. His posture was a lot more relaxed compared to everybody else.

But the strangest thing about him was the way he looked at me; his face was calculating. He looked like he was curious about me instead of wanting me immediately dead…which would probably make him the only one in the room with that facial expression.

"My Lords," the soldier with my chains bowed. He then yanked on it, like they forgot I was there. "Here is the Athenian scum that caused the fire in the market. He fell for the trap, just like you predicted, King Zephyr."

The smaller king, apparently named Zephyr, nodded his head in acknowledgment. He glanced over at the other king looking for some confirmation then turned his eyes back to me with that same contemplating look. His partner stood up.

"Any casualties?" the bigger king asked. He walked slowly towards me with the scowl still firmly on his face.

"No, King Leo," the guard responded.

Leo hummed in response. He circled my kneeling form a few times. I wasn't sure if he was looking for, but his face was shrewd. After a minute, he stopped in front of me.

He unsheathed his sword.

"Leo-" Zephyr exclaimed, but he held his palm up to placate him.

My eyes were close while I awaited my pending death, but it never came. Instead, I felt the tip of the blade lift my chin up. My eyes met the king's.

"State your name and the land you come from," he commanded.

"H-Hiccup Haddock. Berk," I said shakily; hard to talk with a sword so close to your neck.

The king eyebrow rose and the scowl faded away for the first time since I've been here. "Berk?"

"Yes. I am a viking."

There was a soft murmur in the crowd of elders after my response. I glanced over at King Zephyr. His interest seemed to pique. He and Leo also shared another look before looking back at me.

"Viking? We have no quarrel with your kind. If anything, we have a lot of respect for your culture," Leo said.

I sighed internally. Of course, Spartans would like vikings — we both lived the same lifestyle…sorta. We're probably not this intense.

His eyes narrowed. "You say Berk, though? I've heard stories about a 'Master of Dragons' from your lands-"

Oh. My. Thor. Was anyone going to tell me I was famous outside of the Archipelago? Or was I just going to find that out from the Greeks?

"-We happen to be having a dragon problem ourselves that he could help us out with. Would you know who that Viking was?" Leo continued.

It felt like everyone was in the room was on the edge of their seat as they waited for my answer.

"The, uh, dragon master viking you're looking for would be me," I squeaked out.

Both of King Leo's eyebrow vanished past his hairline. The silence that followed was so severe you could probably hear something drop from Athens.

Suddenly, everyone broke out in a ruckus of laughter. Some of the elders in the crowd held their sides, their arms were thrown over their faces as they chortled. Some fell out of their chairs as they lost coherency. King Leo had his head thrown back as he bellowed out his amusement. It seemed that my declaration was hilariously unbelievable.

King Zephyr once again contrasted everyone in the room. He wasn't laughing but instead continued sitting on his throne, staring at me. His eyes were wide as I met his gaze like he was trying to gauge how truthful I was being. There was a hint of surprise on his face though.

My stupor was interrupted by King Leo's hand picking me up by the scruff of my shirt. He raised me up to meet his eyes. I guess he was done laughing.

"It would not be wise to lie, considering how much mercy we've granted you, intruder."

"I'm not lying," I chocked out," it's me."

The king dropped me back unto my knees. He turned around and shared a meaningful look with King Zephyr as I gasped for air. It looked like they were having some silent conversation. After a minute or two, his attention returned to me. The scowl was back, but he looked like he was considering.

"And could you prove it?"

I thought about it for a second, "Yes."

Perhaps I could for Toothless right now. But that might put him at risk considering the 'dragon problem' they're currently facing. However, the king didn't even give me the option.

He pointed his sword at me once again, but this time I didn't close my eyes or look away.

"You will get your chance tonight. The beast that's been giving us problems is currently trapped in the quarry. The devil is bigger than most of the monsters we've encountered so far, and should prove worthy for any 'master.' Kill it, tame it, or get rid of it; we have no preference."

"So if I manage to tame it, will you let the Athenians go?"

He narrowed his eyes. "We'll consider it."

I nodded my acceptance. Despite the circumstances, I felt relief and a little excitement. Training dragons was like second nature.

"But _viking_," King Leo continued, sword still firmly near my face," if you fail to accomplish your challenge, and the beast fails to kill you, I will finish its job."

He paused and stepped back, putting his sword away. "However, I am feeling oddly generous this morning. Additionally, we already have a few men coming to Sparta who are prepared to subdue the beast. Thus, here's an alternate option. We let you go free instead of feeding you to the dragon. You come back in three weeks, lest Berk wants war, and you bring the actual 'Dragon Master.' The ruckus you caused in the markets will be forgiven."

"And what about my friends?" I asked, barely preventing my eyes from rolling. Of course he wouldn't believe me.

King Leo scoffed. "Obviously they would remain prisoners, but I hardly see how they could be of use to…"

I tuned out his rant on how terrible Athenians were; irritation and maybe even anger slowly building in me. Despite the changes of that I've experienced over the years, socially and physically, there was also some insecurity that nagged at me in the back my mind. It's hard to deny how…unfair Berk treated me growing up, occasionally. I know I didn't fit the mold of a typical viking heir, and it got to me sometimes.

No amount of coddling from Toothless or spontaneous, remorseful hugs from Astrid was going to change it.

But no one, _no one_, has ever questioned how capable of a dragon trainer I am.

"I choose the first option," I said, interrupting the King Leo's ongoing speech.

His face paused as he regarded me. "You really are the 'Dragon Master' the world's been uttering about, huh?"

"Yes. I'll train any dragon you want, under reasonable conditions." I stared at both of the Kings as I raised my voice for the entire room to here, "Or I could go fetch my own if you truly doubt me."

Everyone's eyes bulged out of their heads.

"Ever heard of the Night Fury? The unholy offspring of lightning and death?"

The collective gasp that accompanied that stupid saying was both inspiring and hilarious. Apparently, Toothless was misunderstood in Greece as well. For the first time tonight, King Leo actually looked nervous.

"I-If you are what you say you are, then you will prove it on our terms. We have no problems shooting your dragon down if you summoned it."

I nodded. The threat didn't sound too convincing. And if I did choose to call for Toothless, it'd be during the night; he'd be virtually impossible to spot.

"So, Hiccup Haddock, do you accept this challenge? You know the consequences. Are you sure you're capable?

I defiantly stared up at King Leo, and then looked over at King Zephyr. He hadn't said more than a few words, yet, I kept my gaze on him as I answered.

"I'd bet my life on it."

"Very well then," King Leo spoke. If I wasn't mistaken, his voice had a hint of begrudging respect. "You will face the dragon tonight."

The guards threw me back into the Annabeth's cell. And they were anything but gentle about it. Fortunately, I wasn't handcuffed anymore, and they removed the chain from my neck.

Maybe it was a tactical error or respect due to the fact I wasn't Athenian. I wasn't complaining.

Annabeth was half asleep when I was tossed back into the cell; my yelping probably woke her up.

"Hiccup! You're okay!"

I half-smiled. "For the most part, yeah."

I explained to her what went down with my meeting with the two kings. According to her, it was a known trademark of Sparta to have dual monarchs. The old guys surrounding around them were some sorta council. I told her about how they knew about the 'dragon master' from Berk, and how they giving me a chance to prove myself tonight.

"Wow. And they just threw you back in here with no chains…"

"Yeah. I think they just got you restrained so hard because you're from Athens," I replied sheepishly.

"Figures," she huffed.

I regarded her quietly. The way the guards chained her down looked pretty discomforting. Suddenly, an idea popped up in my head.

"Do you know how to speak Norse?"

She looked confused by the sudden change of subject but shook her head.

I thought for a second. "What about French?"

"Yes," she responded in that language, "but why-"

"Not sure if we're being monitored, "I interrupted in the same tongue. Shoutout to Thuggory.

"Ahh. Smart thinking," Annabeth replied in French. " Now what did you have in mind?"

"Were breaking out of here. Tonight."

She raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I think the guards or kings don't know about my powers, or about No-Name, which is still with Toothless."

Annabeth gasped and then grinned wickedly.

I walked over behind her grabbed the chain around her wrist. "I'm gonna burn a hole into each one, but you're going act like they're still holding you until tonight. I'm willing to bet that the Kings will pull some of the guards out of here and stand with them when they throw me with the dragon."

"And that would be the perfect time for me to escape," Annabeth responded, still speaking in French. "But what about Percy? And Toothless?"

"That's the tricky part. I'm pretty sure they're holding Percy in a cell on the opposite side of the city. They wanted to keep you guys separated. I can summon Toothless to maybe come get you, and you guys could fly over there and rescue Percy, but I'm not sure it would work."

"Why not?"

"Well for starters, I'm not sure how to tell Toothless to meet you here instead of my location. The cylinder gave us a link, but I'm not sure if we could communicate like that…"

"Hmmm. You came from the forrest correct?" I nodded. "I think I have a way to signal Toothless to come to me. Fortunately, my bag is in the other room."

I hummed in response as I finished singeing through one of her chains, moving to the next one. "Okay. But rescuing Percy might be difficult. I'm sure they'll pull some of his guards, but they know he's powerful."

"You let me worry about saving Seaweed Brain," Annabeth responded. "What will you do?"

"I'm gonna train the dragon."

Annabeth's head turned to the side as she regarded me. "Seriously?"

"Hey, I don't turn my back on a dragon in need. If I just leave, there's a good chance that they'll hurt it," I said. "Plus, assuming it flies, I'll use it to meet you guys back at the ship."

"You want us to leave you?"

"Yes. There's no way Toothless can carry all three of us safely. He trusts you to fly him." I finished the opposite chain and moved back to my original position in front of her. "And I trust you won't leave without me."

She looked down at the floor but nodded. We sat in silence for a minute or two. Annabeth looked a little troubled despite me just loosening her restraints. I gave her time to gather her thoughts.

Finally, she spoke. "Hiccup, I-I want to thank you."

I blinked in surprise.

"You could've just left, but you came back for Percy and I. And you had every right to abandon us. We dragged you into this problem, one which you had no business being involved — "

"Don't be silly," I interrupted her tirade. Her voice was shaky and she was on the verge of tears. "How else was I going to get the lens of Athena?"

I was attempting to be funny, but saying that seemed to make Annabeth flinched like I hurt her.

"Hey, Annabeth, c' mon. I was kidding. Look, I came back because you and Percy are my friends. I wouldn't leave you guys behind."

She looked up at me. There was some hesitation in her eyes, but finally, a grin broke out on her face. "Friends?"

"Friends."

She nodded. Her face looked a little unsettled like there was more she wanted to say, but she settled for this.

"Good. You are officially dragon boy to me."

We laughed and discussed a few more details about the plan. After a while though, Annabeth got tired of speaking French, claiming it was annoying. So we switch back to Greek and talked about our lives. She spoke of growing up a demigod and meeting Percy for the first time. Their adventures sounded amazing and disturbing. Some of it sounded too hard to believe, like fighting a god or holding the world up, but at this point, I doubt she was exaggerating.

In return, we talked about my life. I told her about how different I felt from everyone and all the nonmutual pining I suffered through, which made her giggle. I told her about befriending Toothless and losing my leg, but ultimately saving my village. Annabeth was enthralled with my life story. Apparently, she's a fan of unlikely heroes….which I guess I was. She hungontoo every word, and when I finished, she gushed about every detail.

This definitely felt like friendship.

"So, tell me more about Astrid," Annabeth demanded teasingly.

"Why are you so interested about her?"

She shrugged. "She seems like a cool gal. Anyone who has the balls to kiss a guy, who they were willing to dismember just a few days ago over a competition, in front of the whole village is pretty interesting."

I chuckled. "Well, first off, that kiss had to be-"

The door to our cell started creak.

We both tensed up. Annabeth crouched back down like she was still restrained. I felt sparks dance up my arms. In hindsight, I really could've lit up the whole room up during my trial, but that probably would've ended in disaster.

Our eyes were trained at the door, waiting for some guard who overheard us. And happened to speak French.

Instead, a tall and skinny bodied Spartan made his way in.

King Zephyr.

Oddly enough, his appearance didn't reflect his status. He wasn't wearing any of his royal clothing I saw him in just a few hours ago. There wasn't even a crown on his head. All he had on was a regular tunic and pants, with a satchel. He almost looked normal, but we knew better. Our eyes met once again and he approached our cell.

"Hiccup Haddock," he nodded to me. He then glanced at Annabeth, "Athenian."

She snarled. "My name is Annabeth; daughter of Athena and advisor to King Theseus. You will address me as such, you bastard."

I wanted to clamp my hand unto her mouth. She was going to get us executed before we could even attempt escaping.

Surprisingly, the king just rolled his eyes. "Okay, whatever Anal Bell. King Theseus must be really desperate for help nowadays, huh?."

Annabeth looked like she was going to ignite on command like Hookfang. I jumped in before she could reply.

"Uhh, your majesty? Is there any reason for the visit?"

"Just Zephyr is fine."

I blinked. "Erm, okay. Zephyr."

"And yes. I came to talk to you." He came to a kneel and met me at eye level. "Are you really the dragon master?"

My nostrils flared, but he held his hands up like he sensed by agitation. "I'm not mocking you, Haddock. I just need to be sure, for my sake."

"Yes. You can ask me a hundred times and the answer won't change."

He regarded me for a second and then sighed. "Well, alright then. I guess I'm here to help you."

Me and Annabeth, who still looked mad, shared a look of surprise.

"Are you going to set us free? And show us the way to Percy? And not chase after us?"

Zephyr threw his head back in laughter. "You vikings really are hilarious. I always enjoy the stories your people tell during our trade meetings." He shook his head, "And if you really wanted an escape, we gave you the option. But you chose to stay for them…"

Annabeth almost lunged, but I held her down. For a second there, I thought she blew her cover, but the king seemed like he didn't notice her compromised restraints.

"Then how are you going to help me?"

"You're a dragon trainer aren't you?" He pulled out a book from his satchel and opened it up. "Here's a head start."

I felt the blood drain from my face. In his hands was a copy of the Book of Dragons. It almost looked identical to Berk's one copy, but that would be impossible.

"W-where did you get _that_?"

He didn't even glance up as he continued flipping through the pages. "Like I said before, vikings and trade meetings."

"Okay, but I was under the strong impression that Berk had the only copy."

Zephyr stopped rummaging through the book and looked at me. "Wel,l you're wrong. And the people who gave me this copy are coming tonight."

My stomach curled in, it felt like. "Who?"

"Two viking brothers. They go by the names Viggo and Ryker."

"Holy yak-shi—"

"Bad news?" Annabeth interrupted.

I nodded remorsefully. "It seems that my troubles have followed me."

"Based off the description they provided, they're definitely after you," Zephyr confirmed. "But they have no idea that you're here on the island at the moment."

At my confusion the king handed me the book. "They're more interested in the dragon."

The book, which was almost identical on the inside as well, was opened unto a page about dragon us Berkians weren't very familiar with. In fact, I don't believe we have any information about it in ours, which dispels the thought of Viggo coming to Berk and stealing our book. But there were a few observations made about it in Bork's notes.

"A rumblehorn," I whispered.

"What's so special about them?" Annabeth chimed in. "Can you train it?"

"I'm not sure. I know they're in the tracker class so they exceptional and tracking things and people. As for training, I've never tried training one, let alone seen one. Some dragons aren't even trainable, at least to my knowledge, like the red death, or changwings…"

"I didn't ask if they were trainable — I asked if you could train it."

I looked at her, the concern seeping through her face. "Only one way to find out."

"Well, since were all going to try drastic things," Zephyr spoke, "I guess it's my turn."

He pulled out a mask from his satchel. It looked like a yak's head…

"The minotaur? Really?" Annabeth sighed.

The king just shrugged. "It was the only one I had, Anal Beth. This should prevent those vikings from recognizing you. As for your leg…wel,l I got something for that too."

I felt a little apprehensive. My prosthetic was a very personal side of me; only a handful of people have ever saw my stump. The only legs that I have ever worn were made by either me or Gobber.

"Relax," Zephyr said, probably sensing my apprehension, as he pulled out a pair of boots, "these are specially designed boots; well at least the right one is. Should be able to hide your prosthetic in there, and create a pretty believable illusion."

I tried on the boots, and I had to admit, it felt pretty comfortable; almost like a glove for my peg leg. I walked around the cell to gain my bearings.

"Did you make this?" I asked.

"Yes. Didn't take long," he replied nonchalantly.

"And won't the other Spartans notice?"

"No. They'll be too focused on the dragon." He snorted, "I'm pretty sure they all forgot about your leg when you started talking about the beasts. But no."

That was a relief. The boot was pretty convincing too, I almost believed that I had two feet.

"Also, nobody will mention who you are to Viggo or Ryker; we Spartans keep things close to the chest. All you have to do is tame it. I'll take care of any other distractions."

I paused and glanced at Annabeth. It seemed like she was having the same thoughts as me.

"King Zephyr, why are you helping us?"

He sighed like he was expecting us to ask him this.

"I mean it's a little suspiscious—"

"I know. I know." He addressed Annabeth, "you guys were on the edge of the fog banks, when we found you. Were you planning to venture it?"

Annabeth nodded, her steely, grey eyes fixed on the king. They were silent for a minute, almost as if they were having some mind conversation. The king nodded after a minute.

"Monsters have been attacking us as well. We've tried sending Spartans into it. Nobody has come back." He swallowed, "someone…close to me sailed in there. She's a great sailor, the best we have. But sometimes…she can be an idiot. She went against my orders and…"

"…She didn't come back." I finished.

Zephyr shook his sadly head. "It's been three weeks and," he ran his hands through his hair, "I'm not sure how to explain this, but…I don't think she's dead—I know she's not dead. I-I feel it, in my bones. She's in there somewhere. I'll do anything to get her back, even…betraying my country."

That's some pretty heavy stuff to admit. So much for keeping things close to the chest.

Before we could respond, he turned to leave. But not before pausing to say one last thing.

"I came by a little earlier and hung around outside of your cell. I'm fluent in French by the way —"

Both Annabeth and I cringed.

"Tonight, I will have all the guards pulled from your cell. The room next door, with all the Athenian's stuff, will be unlocked. And your friend Percy is not in the other side of the city. He's being held nearby, a flew blocks down, in the red building. All of his guards will be pulled too."

Our jaws had to be touching the floor.

Zephyr turned around to regard us one last time. "Good luck Hiccup. Tonight will decide many things for my city. It's always been my priority to put it first…even over loved ones. My faith's always been in the Spartan code." He took a shuttering breath, "but tonight, I feel the winds of change. Tonight, I'm putting my faith in you."

He left the room.


End file.
